The Most Beautiful Mendacity
by WordyAndRestless
Summary: AU. Auror Tonks falls into one of the most twisted and winding investigations of her life in order to find an unseen enemy, all while helping her cousin Sirius Black pick his life up after prison and managing her sometimes dangerous love with Remus Lupin.
1. Summer's PreMoons

**Chapter 01 – Summer Pre-Moons**

**Disclaimer:**

I figured I'd do this once at the beginning of the story. The characters, places, and anything else you recognize belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling. Anything else is created by me for the story.

**The AU-Factor:**

Obviously this is an AU story as to what happened with Tonks, Remus, Sirius and a few others during the course of Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. I'm continuing on with the fic-verse I've built up from "Life Like This". Sirius Black is a free man. Remus and Tonks have feelings for each other but won't admit it. Sirius and Tonks have a cousin named Alexis (Lexi) Black. And there are several other original characters I made such as Silvia White and Marrick Kingston. Otherwise, this story somewhat follows what happened in canon for Goblet of Fire.

**Author's Note:**

I know this is already a really long note but I thought I'd clarify some things down here. PRE-READING ISN'T VITAL though it would be nice if you read the story before this, "Life Like This" for it may help you understand a few things better. And also, for those who've read "Life Like This", you'll notice I've made some major changes to my character Silvia. I realized she'd turn out to be the Mary Sue kind of woman if I don't add a few things to her character so I apologize for any confusion. Anyways, I hope this will be a good story for all of us. Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and supporting me. Thank you! Now for the story…

P.S. I realize I put a lot of details in my stories. If you think it's too much details, feel free to give me constructive criticism =D for the mean time, I'm sticking with the writing style I have. Thank you! =D

P.P.S. Sorry there's not a whole lot of Remus in the first chapter for all those Remus lovers out there. I love him too but I don't want to make the first chapter go on endlessly.

* * *

><p>Nymphadora Tonks and her two cousins, Alexis and Sirius Black lived in the apartment behind the burgundy red door on the fifth floor of Number 563 on Long Street, London. It was a large building in red and white bricks with a Romanesque Revival architectural style. At the front entrance a row of ruby red telephone booths lined the white building side. In a mildly busy part of London, it seemed a perfect place, not too busy, but not a deserted wasteland either.<p>

Their apartment was old with creaky light-wood-finished floors. The entire place was a clash of two different decorative eyes. Bright colors mixed with modern black and white, the result of colorful Nymphadora and organized Alexis trying to live together.

It was a quiet summer night. The day calendar at the corner of her desk was partly ripped, revealing half a page of yesterday, reading _July 21_, and the bottom half of the day after, _July 22_.

Weary and worn, she laid asleep at her desk, clueless to the world. Her head was on top of a bulky folder of reports written in a sloppy scrawl. Her arms hung at her side, tired. Signature bubblegum pink hair had reverted back to natural mousy brown. A soft yellow light illuminated her pale, heart-shaped face. An inch away from her face was an old and oddly bent feather quill with ink still dripping from its tip onto the wordy parchment. The tip trailed off at the end of the name: _Nymphadora Tonks—s_loppily scrawled.

During a sweet dream she wouldn't remember, a thunderous yelp woke her. The shock woke her up and she stumbled as she fell to the ground, her chair flipping over and landing in a mess of Tonks and chair. She pushed the chair aside, uncaring of it for now and rushed out of her room into the kitchen where the scream seemed to have come from.

"What? What happened?" she asked in a loud, panic-filled voice. She was ever vigilant like her mentor had taught her and her wand was in her hand, held at the ready.

"Careful with that thing Tonksie," her cousin, Alexis Black, laughed. Alexis was sitting perched on top of their wooden kitchen counter, her long, raven black hair framed her pretty face with the patrician beauty of the Black family. "You might end up killing one of us by accident."

Tonks huffed. Sirius too was there, laughing slightly. Sirius looked tired but wide awake with traces of sheer horror etched across his face. He was patting his chest as he inhaled deep breaths. Her cousin Sirius had haunted grey eyes having once been imprisoned in an asylum like prison. His hair was neatly cut and raven black like Alexis' while his face was still young and darkly handsome, bearing the same though more masculine patrician beauty of the Black family.

"Who just screamed?" Tonks asked them.

Sirius laughed in a funny way while Alexis clapped her hands together and continued to laugh hysterically. Finally, Alexis decided to answer. "It was Sirius screaming."

Tonks raised her eyebrow in disbelief, a grin breaking onto her face. "What?"

"I know. His scream's higher than a girl's," Alexis teased.

"I thought she was a dementor!" Sirius defended himself. "You did look an awful lot like one with your hair covering your face," he joked, putting on a familiar grin.

"Did you have nightmares of Azkaban again?" Tonks asked, sitting beside Alexis.

Sirius nodded and sighed. "It's odd. The nightmares began when Harry came here."

Tonks glanced down their dark hallway to Sirius' bedroom where his door was left ajar.

Ever since they brought Harry over that summer, both Sirius and Harry have been having nightmares from their haunting past. It was worrying Tonks and Alexis, but knowing Sirius and Harry's noble self, they were forced to hide their concerns.

"You think these nightmares are foreboding something?" Sirius asked in a low whisper.

"Foreboding what?" Tonks asked.

"Who knows? I've never been good at Divination," Alexis said as she pushed herself off the counter. "Ask Tonksie. She scored the highest in her divination class."

As Alexis went into the bathroom, Sirius turned back to Tonks. She only shrugged, truly not knowing if these nightmares from the past meant anything.

"So…" said Tonks, waiting for Alexis to finish so she could use the bathroom.

"How are things going between you and Moony?" Sirius asked, grinning. "Exceptionally well I suspect? He _is_ coming over a lot more often lately."

"Sirius, Remus comes over because you keep sending him howlers stressing about how bored you are," Tonks retorted. Her cheeks showed a tint of pink as she thought about Remus, the charming but damaged professor, Marauder, and werewolf.

Her feelings for him hadn't died or even dulled out in anyway. She still got butterflies in her stomach because of him and the sweet rush of adrenaline whenever she was near him. However, despite those feelings, Tonks and Remus still remained as friends. He was afraid he'd burden her because of his lycanthropy, and he was afraid of hurting her. Tonks honestly didn't care. She only wanted to be with him, but her attempts at convincing him all ended up in failure. And so Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin stayed as friends, just simple _friends_.

A sudden scream surprised them all. Tonks and Sirius looked at each other and immediately rushed down the dark hallway into Sirius' bedroom. There they found Harry sitting in the corner of his bed, his eyes mad and scared, struck with fear. Alexis was beside the door, her toothbrush still in her mouth as she, Sirius, and Tonks came over to comfort Harry.

"What's wrong Harry?" Tonks asked softly, resting her chin on Alexis' boney shoulder.

"B-bad dream," Harry replied in a short breath, his light green eyes now calming. "I-I remember what I saw," Harry said suddenly with a fleeting look of fear.

"Mind telling us Harry?" Alexis asked, her words muffled by the toothbrush.

"Voldemort," he said solemnly.

Melancholy fell over everyone in the room. "What happened?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know," the boy said, still shaken from his dream.

Harry had had dreams of his parents being killed, but never ones about Voldemort himself specifically. Even in the magical world, it was a dark harbinger to be dreaming of a man who had once threatened their world. Though he didn't succeed, he'd left a trail of destruction, broken men and haunted women, and shattered families in his wake.

"Listen, Harry, Voldemort is _dead_," Sirius said. "You are an almost-fourteen-year-old boy. The things you should be worrying about are girls, pranks, and grades…not Voldemort. And even if he returns, we'll win a second war. We won't make the same mistakes twice." There was sadness behind his grey eyes but he masked it. He couldn't stand the sorrows, so the only way he knew how to push it away was to smile, a masquerading smile all Blacks had.

Sirius rubbed Harry's arm and held the boy comfortingly. Tonks rubbed his back in what she hoped to be a comforting gesture while Alexis whispered soft and gentle words of comfort into his ear in a voice Tonks rarely heard her use. After a while, Harry finally calmed just as the morning sun rose from the dark horizon and lit up the room through the open window.

"It's morning," Tonks informed. "Come on Harry, we'll make you breakfast before we leave for work." She'd put on a bright grin for him. Anymore talk about Voldemort would only bring them down and so she masked her worries to cheer Harry up because as adults, what else could they do but hide their troubles?

"Psh, like you could cook," Sirius scoffed, going on along with Tonks, teasing her so as to get their minds away from the foreboding dream. The habit of putting up a façade to mask their troubles seemed to be a dominant Black family trait. "Face it. We all rely on Lexi for food."

"It's alright Tonks, I'll eat your cooking," said Harry, beginning to smile a bit.

"Trust me Harry, you wouldn't want to risk it," Alexis said, continuing to brush her teeth.

"It can't be as bad as the things my aunt and uncle fed me." Whatever Sirius, Tonks, and Alexis were doing, it was working. Being around them, Harry couldn't stay gloomy for long.

"Can your aunt set the kitchen on fire making eggs?" Alexis asked and Harry laughed.

"If you poison my godson with your food Tonksie, you have to give me a new one."

"How in the world am I supposed to give you another godson?" Tonks asked, unfazed.

"Oh I don't know. Keep doing what you and Moony were doing the last time he came over," Sirius said conversationally. "_Oh Remus, do it again. How did you do that with your wand_?" Sirius imitated Tonks' voice with a dramatic airy and girly accent.

Tonks blushed madly. "Padfoot, you lousy git! Shut up or I'll hex you back to Azkaban!"

They finally got Harry laughing now and though Tonks was blushing like mad, she had to commend Sirius. He made it look so easy—cheering up a moody and troubled fourteen-year-old teenager. Sirius laughed, his laughter sounding like a bark as he ran for the bathroom.

* * *

><p>At noon, Tonks felt exhausted. The work day had been long and boring. After Sirius' trial she was put on the Minister's bad side and was back to desk work. She still had a pile of reports to write and another five hours left of work at a job she no longer loved.<p>

When she heard footsteps coming into her work cubicle, Tonks bolted straight up to see Silvia White leaning on her desk. Silvia was an auror in her early-thirties, a half-Spanish woman with coffee brown eyes and dark curly brown hair framing her exotic and darkly beautiful face.

"I'm guessing _constant vigilance_ was really driven into you by Mad-Eye," Silvia smiled.

Her voice was laced with a rich Spanish accent that Tonks had grown accustomed to hearing but Sirius once admitted it was a seduction to men like him or most men in general.

"Of course, I miss that old nut bag," said Tonks. "It's boring around here without him screaming _constant vigilance_ in our faces."

"Yes, I _do_ miss the terrified shrieks," Silvia sighed. "Anyways, it's noon. Do you want to join me and your cousin for lunch or do you want to sit here and mope?"

"Lunch sounds good. I'm guessing you're stuck doing desk work too then?"

"Ever since Paddy's case my dear friend," she sighed. The school day friendship between Sirius and Silvia had rekindled during the months following Sirius' trial.

"You and him bicker like three-year-olds," Tonks teased her. Only Silvia could match Sirius toe to toe in an all-out argument about anything and everything.

"No we don't. He just likes to act like an insufferable git sometimes. Now come on, if we take any longer, Lexi will get all wrapped up in her lover and not pay for lunch."

"We're talking about Alexis Black right? I thought she and Marrick were still fighting about that missing record." It had come to her attention that both of her cousins tend to bicker with their significant other rather often. Sirius bickered with Silvia like cats and dogs and Alexis just can't seem to go a day without disagreeing with Marrick about something.

"They made up. Didn't you hear them this morning in the lift?" said Silvia.

"Well sorry I'm not informed," Tonks smiled.

As they walked towards the lifts leading to the Atrium, Tonks could see Alexis and Marrick standing in each other's arms, discreetly hiding away at the corner of the corridor. Tonks smiled at them. She knew Alexis really felt something strong for Marrick and the feelings remained strong despite their constant quarrels. Watching them made Tonks think about herself and her own feelings for Remus…

"Would you love birds take a break for five minutes?" Silvia spoke and smiled.

The couple looked fitting but in a way unfitting. In appearance, Alexis and Marrick matched entirely. Alexis had a darkly beautiful face bearing the patrician beauty of all women from the Black family—it was a trait even Tonks' natural state couldn't escape. Marrick had always been good-looking. However, in terms of personality, they couldn't be more different.

"You're one to talk," Alexis smiled at them as Marrick weaved his arms around her waist and she relaxed in his embrace. "You and Paddy might as well be an old married couple."

"Merlin no," Silvia replied as Tonks laughed. "Paddy's like an annoying little brother."

"Believe it or not, he's older than you Silv," Tonks smiled. "Now, not to cut short your public display of affection or anything cousin, but can we please go get lunch? I'm starving!"

"See you later then," Alexis said to Marrick, giving him a kiss quicker than lightning.

"See you love. Bye Silvia, bye Tonks," Marrick smiled cordially and walked away with a grin plastered on his face. One was always happy after the sight of a lover, Tonks thought.

"Where to for lunch?" Alexis asked.

"The Leaky Cauldron," said Tonks. They disappeared into the lift and it jolted to a start.

The Atrium was a very long and splendid hall with a highly-polished dark-wood floor and a peacock blue ceiling inlaid with gleaming golden symbols, constantly changing like some enormous heavenly notice board. The walls on each side were paneled with shiny dark wood and many gilded fireplaces were set into them. The crowd in the Atrium was constantly enormous with witches and wizards going from place to place.

When Tonks, Alexis, and Silvia walked out into the hall, they stepped into the first open chimney and in a sea of emerald green flames; the three women disappeared with a soft _whoosh_.

Tonks had nearly missed the grate to The Leaky Cauldron and so when she arrived, she was more imbalanced than normal. They soon got themselves a table in the mild lunchtime crowd and before they knew it, their food and drinks were already halfway gone.

"So has anyone accepted Sirius' job application yet?" Tonks asked Silvia while taking a bite from her chicken leg. Although Silvia and Sirius often bickered, she'd been helping him find a place of employment ever since the start of summer. Sadly, things haven't been going well.

"Afraid not," Silvia replied. "They're all doubtful because he'd once been in prison."

"Great. Every witch and wizard knows about Sirius. He'll never get a job now."

"Have you tried muggle establishments?" Alexis, who had been engrossed in her dish of apple crisp, said. "They're practically clueless to what goes on in our world."

Silvia's eyes widened as she finished the last of her pumpkin juice. "Great idea Lexi! That's good! We're at The Leaky Cauldron right now. I can just go out to London and look!"

"What about work?" Tonks inquired.

"I'm stuck with desk work anyways. I'll just do the reports when I get home," Silvia replied. She'd always been quick to do things. Silvia was already taking the last bite to her sandwich and was charming her robes to look more muggle-like. "If Kingsley asks for me, tell him I'm out for an emergency," she said quickly.

"What? Lie?" Tonks smiled as Silvia rushed off.

"Tell him my dog died or something," Silvia said quickly and disappeared out the door.

"Well…what a surprise," Tonks said as Silvia left. "She's usually so uptight with work."

Her raven haired cousin simply shrugged as she continued with her apple crisp. Alexis and Tonks both ate quietly for a while, enjoying their food during that day's warm summer afternoon. There was an odd feeling of comfort in The Leaky Cauldron during warm summer days. It had to be the sunlight that was leaking through the ceiling high windows, Tonks felt.

"Oh pardon me my dears," a soft, misty, ethereal voice said suddenly just as Tonks felt someone run into her. She turned around to see a familiar face to match that voice. Tonks smiled at their old Divination professor, the wobbly and crazy Sybill Trelawney.

"Professor?" Both Tonks and Alexis said at the same time.

Trelawney, covered in a gauzy shawl glittering with shiny beads and sequins, smiled. She was a thin woman with light brown hair and dark green eyes that were magnified ten times by her thick round spectacles. Trelawney definitely recognized Alexis and Tonks. They'd both been well known with all the teachers—having to serve detention so often—and Tonks had also been her favorite student, having had a knack for the subject of Divination.

"Tonks, Alexis, my dears," Trelawney spoke. "I haven't seen you in so long."

They smiled. "Do you see anything for us in the future?" Tonks asked casually.

She and Alexis both knew that Trelawney was a little shaky with her own readings, but they had to admit she was trying very hard to be a good teacher. They'd learned a lot about the thin, almost frail woman after two months' worth of detention spent with her.

Trelawney's face turned thoughtful. "Yes, yes I do see something." She gripped Tonks' hands suddenly with a dramatic, strange and distant look. "You…are in grave…danger," she said in a foreboding voice which would've worried Tonks had it not been Trelawney. "Beware of mistrust and betrayal in those close to you," she continued. Trelawney then nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes returned to their usual kind and magnified state again.

Alexis and Tonks both smiled oddly. "Thanks Professor," said Tonks. With that, their old Professor bid them her farewell and made her way to an empty table in the back of the pub.

"She's always been an odd one in my book. You're not seriously worried over her little prediction, are you Nymphie?" Alexis asked upon seeing the look in her cousin's eyes.

"Of course not," Tonks replied unsurely. She'd always thought that there was some basis of truth to Trelawney's predictions…in one way or another. "It _is_ Trelawney after all," Tonks smiled. "We've both established she's off with most predictions back in school. Though you've got to admit she was fun to serve detention with."

Her cousin laughed and was soon picking up her thin jacket and wand from the table. "Yeah," she said. "Her most accurate one was: 'It'll be another foggy day in London'."

Tonks laughed as she and her cousin began heading for the back door of the pub which led to a small yard and the entrance to Diagon Alley. When they got to the yard, Tonks and Alexis both stopped short when they saw the stone wall open up from the other side, allowing a tall and gruff man passage through. Alexis smirked while Tonks' eyes lit up and she jumped to hug the ex-auror instantly. Mad-Eye Moody had stepped through the barrier, as gruff and battle-worn and mad as ever. He was grumbling about something while his electric blue magical eye rolled to the back of his head.

"Mad-Eye!" Tonks yelled, hugging him, much to his displeasure.

Upon Tonks' tight hug, Mad-Eye grunted but he didn't push her away. "You're as bouncy and childish as ever I see," he said in a rough, scratchy voice.

"_Constant vigilance_ Mad-Eye," Alexis smiled and shook her head.

"I haven't heard that for so long! I miss you so much you old codger!" Tonks exclaimed.

"And I almost forgot disrespectful as ever too," Moody added. "Luckily Alexis is more subtle with her teasing, _Nymphadora_."

Tonks growled and with that she'd somehow stirred a rough, rugged smile from the man. His scar-crossed face lit up and he looked like a perfectly normal man, even with chunks of his nose missing, scars crisscrossing his face and arms, and a magical eye spinning in its socket.

"What are you doing here?" Tonks asked.

"I'm here to meet with Sybill Trelawney," the ex-auror told his old disciple. "Dumbledore has been telling me that Trelawney's made a prophecy I should hear about. It's a load of cobswallows I think, but if Dumbledore says so then it's worth some attention."

"No, I think you're right Mad-Eye," said Tonks, finally letting go of him.

"Really, this _is_ Trelawney we're talking about," Alexis stated, crossing her arms.

"I know. Now I really have to get going. See you two around."

"Bye Mad-Eye," the two girls said together and waved.

"_Constant vigilance_!" Moody called, his back turned to them with the barrier closing.

"He can't help it," She'd missed hearing those two words spoken in that same low and gruff voice. Tonks smiled. She hadn't seen her mentor in ages ever since his retirement and she was glad he seemed to be doing well. At least he hadn't gone mad staying at home with nothing to do all day like all retired old folks.

"You think some of Trelawney's predictions might be correct?" Tonks asked suddenly as they walked down the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley.

Alexis shrugged. "The prediction she gave us sounded believable though. It's a bit different from her usual ones," she said thoughtfully. "Guess it's worth a thought."

"Guess so. I mean Dumbledore _did_ hire her. He couldn't have been hoodwinked."

* * *

><p>Like every other day while Alexis and Tonks were at work, Sirius spent his time playing an addicting muggle pass time activity called video games with Harry. They nearly broke Alexis' television which Sirius called a 'muggle box' when they were fighting over who won.<p>

Sirius was enjoying his day, until the doorbell suddenly rang and he found Silvia White standing in the hallway with a pile of paperwork for him to fill out. Seeing that she only wanted to help him, Sirius groaned and beckoned Harry to save himself from the boredom by messing in Alexis' and Tonks' room while he and Silvia _worked_—Sirius hated work.

"Why do whenever I see you, you always have work for me to do?" Sirius asked.

"Work's good for you," she simply smiled.

After an hour of endless writing page after page form after form, Sirius grew tired and began goofing around to relax himself. He made silly jokes that Silvia obviously didn't find funny and he even tried to balance his wand on the bridge of his nose.

"Stop joking around and getting distracted. Finish up this paperwork," Silvia ushered.

"I don't want to," he retorted. "This is pointless. Tell me again why I have to get a job."

"You can't rely on Lexi and Tonks to support you," she replied in a serious, all-business tone. She had to use that tone with Sirius, to keep him serious. "They have enough worries."

"They're my cousins. Seeing that I'm family, it's kind of their job to support me," Sirius said, only meaning to joke around with her.

"Show some responsibility. You have Harry around for god's sake. Be a good role model for him. Making your younger cousins support you at this age is so irresponsible."

"Irresponsible? So you're saying I'm irresponsible now?" He gasped dramatically.

"Yes," Silvia snapped, fed up with Sirius' refusal to be serious. "Very irresponsible."

"How would you know? I think I'm very responsible for your information," he argued.

"Trust me Sirius. I've known you long enough. You're irresponsible and childish."

"You haven't seen me for thirteen years! I am very responsible."

"No. Sirius, you are irresponsible and you know it. Don't deny it," she said. As Silvia's voice grew louder, her frustration grew and her Spanish accent became more apparent as well.

"I am not!"

"Yes you are!"

"I am not irresponsible." He couldn't help it. Oddly, he found pleasure in making Silvia mad. She had this very attractive, fiery charm whenever she was angry, but it would be the last thing Sirius would ever admit to anyone but himself. "Just because I broke up with you doesn't mean you can talk bad about me," he retorted. Sirius only wanted to annoy her. However, he didn't expect what he'd just said to actually piss her off.

Silvia shot him a glare that could almost match Andromeda's death glare. "Don't bring it up," she hissed. "And for your information, it was _I_ who dumped _you_."

"You didn't _dump_ me. It was a mutual break up," he retorted, unable to stop himself.

"Yes and then afterwards you _snogged_ my best friend! Honestly, what kind of man does that?" Her voice was growing louder and she was really angry now.

"I didn't snog her! And besides, we broke up already." He honestly didn't know how he made a somewhat simple conversation about filling out paperwork lead to this.

"It still doesn't mean you can go and snog my best friend senselessly, _in front of me_!"

"Why'd you bring up the past for if it makes you angry?"

"You brought it up Sirius!"

"I didn't intend to! Why are you progressing on it?"

She parted her lips, anger present on her beautiful face. Sirius knew she was about to say something very foul towards him but she'd thought better of it. "Sirius Black you are an irresponsible, childish, stupid, git!"

There was something about the feeling he got whenever he was around Silvia that prevented Sirius from holding himself back. He knew if he pushed any further, he'd feel the wrath of a very angry Spanish woman, an auror too, but he couldn't help it. It could be because he's a git, or he just wanted to hear her mention the past they once shared, proof that he and Silvia had once had feelings for each other. It was present through her anger.

"Stop yelling at me! This is exactly like how we were when we were dating! You'd start yelling and I'd start yelling! And then next thing you know we're in bed shagging like mad! Do you honestly want that to happen now or do you want me to finish all these _stupid_ paperwork?"

He'd just done it. Silvia always hated it when Sirius mentioned their arguments and what always happened afterwards. She hated to hear about it but Sirius always thought it was a crucial part of their past together—anger fueled their romance.

"SIRIUS BLACK, te vas pudrir en el infierno insufrible, hijo de puta sin corazón!"

His eyes widened with shock. When a half-Spanish woman starts yelling at you in her native language, you've really gone too far…but when it's Silvia White, it's usually completely worth it after the argument, Sirius thought to himself.

"Um…" Harry's voice sounded. Sirius and Silvia both turned to face him in height of their argument. "Uh…you should keep your voices down or the muggle neighbors will start asking questions," he said weakly, an attempt to stop their argument.

Silvia glared at Sirius once more, her coffee brown eyes icy while her beautiful face repressed her anger and annoyance towards him. They were standing close to each other, their body against each other from the argument. After a few moments, they finally quieted down and Sirius was once again back to the paperwork. He had to admit though. He _did_ miss hearing Silvia yell at him. She only yelled because she cared about him, he knew. Otherwise, she wouldn't pay any attention to him. They'd gotten very close, just like before. However, he couldn't pick her up and snog her senselessly like before. Sirius sighed as he thought about their past. He sighed again when he realized that now…the events following an argument weren't the same.

* * *

><p>At the end of the day, Tonks let out a long breath as she headed for the Atrium one final time that night. She was leaving work, but she wasn't heading home. Because it was the night of the full moon, Tonks would instead be heading over to the Shrieking Shack where she'd promised to meet the charming bookworm professor she'd completely fallen for.<p>

"Ready to leave, Tonksie?" Alexis's mellow voice floated easily to Tonks' ears.

"Honestly Lexi, you'd pass as an auror in stealth."

"Yeah I'd pass as a lot of things," said the young woman smugly with defined, chiseled features on a pretty face. "Come on," she ushered.

"Alexis!" Tonks turned back to the owner of the voice, but Alexis continued walking as if she hadn't heard her name. "Alexis wait!" Marrick was running up to them, his brown hair disheveled and charismatic face looking troubled. Tonks wondered what was wrong with the couple _that time_. "Alexis," he called again and grabbed her arm, spinning her around smoothly.

Tonks kept quiet, feeling like an awkward third wheel as she stood there. Her cousin sighed and crossed her arms. After knowing Alexis Black for so long and being so close with her, Tonks knew that look immediately. Alexis wasn't mad, or angered, or agitated. She was simply annoyed, as if she was tired of something.

"What do you want Marrick?"

"Love, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm so sorry about tonight. We can make it up another night. Please?" He pleaded in a soft voice.

"Alright, talk to me another night. Goodnight Marrick," said Alexis dryly.

Watching the couple, Tonks didn't quite understand what was going on. But yet again, the concept of love and romance was different from people to people.

* * *

><p>As she fell out of the large chimney of the Three Broomsticks with ashes marring her pale, heart-shaped face, her foot was caught on the raised ledge to the floor and she fell out, crashing onto the wooden floor in the middle of the crowded inn. Tonks was beginning to really hate floo travel, even if it was far more comfortable than traveling by apparition.<p>

"You ok Tonksie?" Alexis asked her and Tonks made a surprised face as she pushed herself off the ground quickly and patted the dust and ashes off her robes.

"I thought you were heading home," said Tonks.

Her cousin emptied the glass of firewhiskey. "It was date night tonight," she sighed. "Here, let me help." She took out her wand to use a charm that cleaned Tonks' robes and face.

Tonks sat down in the barstool beside her cousin, patting Alexis' shoulder. "Another date night ruined?" she asked softly.

Alexis nodded. "Another date night ruined." She groaned. "He does this all the time. It's so unfair," she complained. "When he cancels a date because of work, it's because he has to hold up his responsibilities. But when I cancel a date, he thinks that I don't care about him enough."

"But you do care," said Tonks. She understood her cousin the most. Alexis though hadn't been known as one who drowned her lover in little acts of love, was still one who cared a lot. She just didn't show that she cared, until the time called for it.

"I do care," she sighed and placed her head in her hand.

"We care too," the harmonizing voice of the Weasley Twins sounded.

Tonks looked up to see Fred and George Weasley standing behind her with a grin, along with Bill Weasley, her friend she hadn't seen in a long time. Unable to hold back her excitement, Tonks jumped up and squealed, hugging Bill tightly around his neck.

"Lexi!" she called but Alexis had already noticed and was chuckling softly at Tonks.

"I missed you too Tonks!" Bill laughed and hugged her back just as tightly. "Of course when I catch Lexi, she's looking troubled," he said and gave Alexis a comforting hug.

"Not troubled, annoyed," Alexis replied with a smirk on her face now. Seeing old friends had always cheered her up. "There is a difference."

"Well you don't have to be troubled…"

"…or annoyed, anymore," said the twins. Tonks was ashamed to admit that she still couldn't tell them apart even after getting to know them so well after the mission. Whenever she thought she could finally tell one apart from the other, they would do something that would confuse her all over again.

"We're here now love," one of the twins said. "Fred…"

"…and George Weasley at your service," they grinned.

"No, you're George and you're Fred," Alexis smiled. "Merlin, get it right you two."

They laughed and it baffled Tonks how Alexis could so easily tell the difference. "Wow. I feel ashamed to admit I'm their friend," said Tonks. "I can't tell which is which."

"Don't worry," Bill whispered. "I can't tell either. That's why I refer to them together as Fred and George, never apart." A sly smile appeared on Bill Weasley's handsome face as he and Tonks laughed together like old times.

"We heard that mate."

"And you call yourself our brother."

Bill smiled and shook his head. "Care for a drink everyone?"

"Oh I'm sorry, I can't, somewhere to be, something to do, and someone to meet."

"You and your excuses," Bill scoffed and pushed Tonks playfully. "How about young Miss Black then? You wouldn't turn down a drink from me, would you?"

"You know I wouldn't, charming Mr. Weasley," Alexis smiled.

"We want drinks too…"

"You pay Bill."

"I'll pay for your butterbeer."

"Cheapskate," the twins scoffed together.

"Good luck Mr. Prefect," Tonks teased as Bill rolled his eyes and sat down across from Alexis while one twin sat beside her and another twin sat beside him.

Tonks hugged, waved, and smiled as she made her way out of the busy inn. Seeing that Alexis didn't seem as annoyed about a canceled date anymore, Tonks felt comfortable in leaving her with the Weasley boys. They were good friends after all, and they made her smile easily.

When Tonks got outside, she was glad to see that the rain had stopped as evening turned into night. The sun was almost done setting over the darkened horizon and the pale silver moon was climbing higher in the night sky. The moon was full that night. It was pale, cold, and lonely as clouds hid the stars. Tonks took a breath of the fresh air and began walking, making her way to the battered dirt road beside the field of dried golden grass that she'd grown to like.

She treaded alone in the night, walking past peaceful, quiet houses outside the village. Once she passed the houses, she was walking by tall, looming trees casting large shadows over her path. She wasn't scared however, as she'd been down that path way too many times. Tonks walked down the broken dirt path and trudged through the field of tall, dried golden grass that rippled in the night's wind and was hiding the eerily looming shack in the distance.

The Shrieking Shack stood there quietly, waiting for when it would be needed. To others, it may be a haunted house. But to one man, Tonks knew it was his solace. He'd had too many memories in there, memories both good and bad. It was like a Pensieve of his and a rigid symbol of him. The shack was shabby and tattered in appearance, but inside it oddly gave a feeling of comfort for him. It was like him. Shabby and tattered on the outside—that shabbiness masking the still handsome face—but amazing and extraordinary on the inside.

"Moonrise…Remus should be in there," she sighed to herself.

* * *

><p>Remus could feel the memories race inside his mind. The Shrieking Shack that sat a few miles away from Hogwarts had always been a constant in Remus Lupin's life. It'd been there since he was eleven and more than two decades later still remains standing. So many memories filled the place, memories so vivid that standing there in the middle of the broken room, he could see them replay around him as if the rundown shack in itself was his very own Pensieve—rough and eerie in appearance, but it was Remus' solace all throughout the years.<p>

From where he stood in the corner of the first floor, Remus could see everything clearly. He was in the living room. A collapsed armchair sat in the corner. Ashes were still present underneath the fireplace. The shredded sofa and cushions scattered one part of the room. In another corner there was a set of neatly folded blankets.

He could still remember his days with the Marauders there. They'd spend the night with him, playing and fooling around in their transformed self. Remus could picture the werewolf, the dog, and the stag chasing each other around the room and through the shack. That would explain why there were so many holes in the walls and floor—they were rough kids. Remus even remembered the sweet little rat, usually hiding somewhere but caving in by the middle of the night and joining the other three Marauders. Those memories were so vivid that sometimes Remus felt he could still hear their sounds while he stood there. He felt he could hear their laughter in the morning after the full moon was gone.

Memories of his adolescent years weren't the only ones that filled the shack. A few months ago, a set of memories occurred in the very same shack that had changed Remus' life forever. He could still remember the last September full moon, when he got much more than what he'd expected for a simple night cursed under the moonlight. Remus had always had a good memory. In his mind he still remembered that night. The moon was cold and pale and he felt lonelier than ever, being back in his broken place of solace without the other Marauders. But then a young woman with bright bubblegum pink hair literally stumbled into his solace, and she stayed. Her footprints were still present. Nymphadora Tonks walked into his life and with her she brought something back to him—a magic that healed his unclosed wounds.

Following Nymphadora Tonks' arrival, Remus met his best friend Sirius again, the Marauder he considered his brother. It turned out that Sirius hadn't betrayed him after all and so Remus got Sirius back from the asylum called Azkaban Prison. They discovered the truth about Peter's betrayal, and regained Sirius' freedom. With his friend back, he didn't feel alone anymore, and it all happened in the same shack, his solace.

"Oh no," Remus suddenly mumbled when he could feel the convulsions of transformation begin. His wards still hadn't been sealed yet, and Remus wanted to slap himself for forgetting something so important. "Not good," he groaned. He cringed as the painful transformation began to pull him apart and he worried as his wards still weren't sealed.

From outside the window, he suddenly saw a flash of pink hair lit up by a faint white light. At first Remus thought he was going mental, but then he remembered the pale, heart-shaped face of the lovely pink-haired auror. She was there, and he was comforted by that thought. He suddenly saw a lot of blue lights from where he'd seen her, and then he began to worry. She'd sealed his wards for him, and he thanked her. But for the wards to remain active, she'd have to be there all night. Remus wanted to slap himself. He'd promised himself he wouldn't trouble her and burden her, but there he was, taking away her perfectly good night just because he'd forgotten to do something so important.

* * *

><p>It was after sunset now and the day had turned into the night. Sirius was done filling out his pile of job applications and looking at it, he could only hope that in one of those would be his first step in regaining a normal life after Azkaban Prison.<p>

He looked up to the L-shaped sofa to find his godson, the famous Harry Potter, lying asleep like a little boy curled up in the corner cushion. Harry's glasses were askew and Sirius couldn't help but notice how much he looked like his father, James Potter, Sirius' best friend. Looking at the boy, Sirius was almost tempted to get a quill and draw silly things on his face, just like what he used to do with James.

Sirius then turned over to his open balcony where the full moon was shining brightly in the black sky. There he saw her standing with her back to him. She was bent slightly over, resting her elbows on the metal railing as she stared up at the silver moon. Sirius sighed as he looked at her. He blinked slowly and when he closed his eyes, he felt a reminiscent of her in his arms from many, many years ago. She'd been his favorite old flame.

Feeling sentimental, Sirius pushed himself off the floor and walked over to her. He leaned on the railing with her, standing so close that his arm was touching hers.

"Are you still mad at me?" Sirius asked and then glanced to look at her lovely face.

"Do you like seeing me angry or something?" Silvia asked in a voice laced with the rich Spanish accent he loved.

"No," he said after a moment's hesitation.

"So why do you make me mad?" she asked, turning around to face him while leaning back on the railing. "You were provoking me. You _always_ provoke me."

He simply shrugged. "Work on your anger management," he said.

Silvia sighed and rolled her eyes. "Don't start. Harry's asleep. Let's not make a racket."

"Alright."

"So tell me again why you aren't with Remus right now? Isn't that why you became an animagus?" Silvia asked in a softer voice.

"Yes, but he'd enjoy Tonks' company more," he smirked his Marauder-like smirk.

"So how have things been going Padfoot?" she asked after a short silence.

"Oh you know, my cousins are working constantly, my best friend's stressed out and cranky because of the moon, my godson's reaching that phase where he's moody and paranoid at random times, and my life just pretty much sucks," Sirius said conversationally. "Oh and don't forget the recurring nightmares about Azkaban. Yes, those definitely do bugger everything up."

"You're still having those nightmares?" she asked softly. Even though they bickered often, Silvia still cared about him—the loyal friend who'd remained loyal through and through.

Sirius nodded. He couldn't really keep a secret from her. He felt too comfortable around her to hide anything about himself. He could and wants to tell her everything every time he saw her darkly beautiful face and coffee brown eyes. She always had been a good listener and Sirius felt lucky that even though she often quarreled with him, Silvia still cared.

"But don't worry, I think they're slowly going away," he smiled with fake cheer.

Silvia saw through his façade. "Those nightmares…they're not going away, are they?"

He smirked. It was a smirk Silvia often saw on him, even during their school days. His haughty smirk was a mask used to hide his true feelings which she'd learned to see through.

"You're lying. Are they bothering you? Don't lie," Silvia said with genuine concern.

Sirius' smirk turned into a soft smile. He loved listening to her worry for him. He didn't like to admit it but it made him feel better knowing she genuinely cared for him. Sirius also couldn't deny that he loved listening to her voice—the way her Spanish accent would often surface and lace her words, furthering its grasp on him.

"Don't worry about me. I'm Sirius Black, I'll get over it. I'm a strong bloke you know."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, giving up her attempt to show care and concern for him. "As cocky as ever," she sighed.

Sirius snickered at her apparent Spanish accent, causing Silvia to lightly slap his arm as they gazed up at the full moon.

* * *

><p>Tonks tucked her wand away as she pushed open the creaky broken door to the Shrieking Shack. Carefully she walked inside, watching her step so as not to make a fresh Tonks-shaped hole in the old and worn floorboards. The inside of the shack was dilapidated, dusty, and broken, just like Tonks had always seen it. She wondered what it'd looked like when it was first built and when the Marauders first used it many, many years ago.<p>

Slowly she walked deeper and deeper into the shack until she arrived at the one room she recognized to be the living room from the last time she was there a month ago. Tonks walked inside and there she found Remus, fully transformed and beastly. He was a tamed beast however—a gentle and quiet wolf that only looked up and stirred slightly upon her entrance. Remus was frail and skinny with bones jutting out everywhere beneath his light brown fur. His eyes were amber but they weren't feral and even reflected a feeling similar to the way his gentle blue eyes would reflect towards her. Tonks looked at him and smiled.

"Wotcher Remus," she said.


	2. Ordinary People

**Author's Note:**

Another chapter! I have realized the lengths of my chapters fluctuate like crazy, but I hope that doesn't badly affect the story. Anyways, more of Remus and Tonks here. Just a fair warning, I'm starting off the story quite slowly and then shifting into more of the action. I apologize if it seems boring but personally I think it's the better way to go. But then it's easy for me to say because I already know what I plan to happen while everyone else is waiting. I'm sorry. Anyways, thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and supporting! Lots of Love...LOL...thanks! Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 02 – Ordinary People<strong>

_~I am no angel._

Bright sunlight casted a soft golden glow over his closed eyelids. It was warm, an odd feeling after a cold moon. Remus opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the blinding rays of sunlight that lit up the battered room. His eyes fell immediately on the old and rundown wall he was facing. Remus slept on his side and when he rolled over to his back, he was met with the million rays of sunlight that seeped through the walls. The shack was so old that with the many holes in the walls, the morning lights looked like a world of stars.

Carefully, he shifted over to his other side. Remus winced once, feeling the bruises and cuts that he'd caused upon himself. Even though he had wolfsbane on the last moon, it didn't mean it would prevent him from hurting himself entirely. He had some trouble sitting up.

After every full moon, he'd always feel this way. He'd feel a little older, and a little weaker, as if each moon was killing him slowly. Thinking he was alone, Remus let out a soft groan. His eyes looked around and Remus nearly jumped when he saw her lovely face.

In the corner of the dilapidated room slept a pink-haired auror with a pale, heart-shaped face and colorfully mismatched robes. She sat awkwardly on the collapsed armchair in a fashion only Nymphadora Tonks could pull off. Her legs were over the arm while her head rested on the wall beside it. She was fast asleep.

Strangely, even while he was worrying about her, Remus felt a strong feeling of comfort envelope him. He felt like he was troubling her. She should be comfortably asleep in her warm bed, not on the broken armchair of a decrepit shack. But Remus also couldn't deny that he was glad she was there. She made him feel less lonely, as if there was a place for him in the big, big world and there was someone there for him. A smile spread across his wan and pallid face. Remus cocked his head to the side. She looked so peaceful—he didn't want to wake her.

She stirred and he held his breath. A wistful look fell on his face as he looked at her and sighed with a subtle sort of longing. Remus remembered he'd promised to keep his distance from her. They were friends, but that was all they could ever have—and he felt he should be happy. Remus thought that friendship should be enough but somehow, whenever he saw her, a string on his heart wanted a little more. He'd kissed her once, and he wanted to do it again…

_I'll only burden her. I'm old, dirt poor, and a werewolf for crying out loud,_ he thought. He was never one to allow himself to forget what he was. And it was his identity as a werewolf that kept him from giving into his strong desire to court her and long for her to smile foolishly because of thinking about him.

Nymphadora Tonks yawned suddenly, her pale pink hair turning more vibrant as she opened her eyes, revealing two pools of dark, vivid emerald. "Wotcher Remus," she smiled. There was a familiar sense of longing in her eyes, as if she was mirroring his emotions.

"Good morning Nymphadora," he said.

"I'm going to charm books to beat you upside the head if you keep calling me that."

He laughed easily with her. His laughter vibrated in his chest and Remus was surprised, like always. Very rarely would a werewolf wake up from a full moon transformation and laugh so easily. But there he was—laughing as if the night before had been no different from any other.

"You look tired," he said, observing her. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" she laughed, rubbing her eyes roughly.

"You shouldn't be here. You should be at home in your soft and warm bed."

"Nah, I should be the one saying sorry. I got here earlier but I was tired so I fell asleep again." Tonks was rambling again. Though she always thought it was a bad habit, Remus always quite enjoyed it when she rambled. He found it _cute_. "And also, I kind of forgot to help you with…" she shyly pointed to him as her cheeks profusely blushed pink.

It was then that Remus Lupin finally realized he was stark naked in front of her, having a conversation with her. His cheeks flushed red, even brighter than her flaming red hair when she was angry. Quickly he grabbed the blanket he'd kicked off and covered himself with it, laughing nervously at Tonks who was biting her lips and staring at the ground.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of though," Tonks said, hoping to ease the awkwardness but only succeeding in making Remus blush even more.

After Remus had gotten all his clothes back on then managed to calm his heartbeat and blood pressure, they were finally on their way. Both Tonks and Remus still had a strong shade of pink on their cheeks, but they were calming down. Remus however, still couldn't look at her straight in her eyes, emerald eyes that have just seen all there was to see about him.

"Come on Remus," Tonks said, pushing herself up to her feet and walking over to him. She wobbled and stumbled once, but she didn't fall flat on her face. "Up you get." Tonks bent down and helped him up, supporting him as he placed one arm around her shoulders.

"Must you be so kind?" he asked her in a weak voice with a gentle teasing smile. "I already feel guilty enough for…"

"You're so silly, Remus." Tonks shook her head and smiled. "We're friends. It's alright."

"Friends would go through so much just to help another completely useless friend who can't even take care of himself?" asked Remus, speaking about her help after a full moon.

"Yes," said Tonks _as-a-matter-of-factly_. "That's what friends are for. Wait till you find out just how much lovers would do for each other."

"Lovers?" Remus saw Tonks hide her blush. He blushed again himself, staring at his feet as they walked out of the shack and into the breezy morning air heading to Hogsmeade.

"Lovers." Tonks nodded, her dark eyes avoiding his. "Do you know what it feels like?" she asked. "To…have a lover?"

"No." He replied in a very soft voice, barely above a whisper. "I never knew."

"Me neither," said Tonks and they continued walking.

He felt his heartbeat fasten once again as he walked alongside her, regaining his energy quickly. "You've never been in love?" he asked curiously. Remus wanted himself to stop. It was those kinds of conversations that led them closer to a point they'd have to force themselves to pull back. Remus didn't want to get too close and burden her…more than he already was.

"Never." She shook her head. They passed by a large field of tall golden grass. The grass rippled in the morning breeze and glowed as the sunshine fell on it. Tonks' eyes turned distant for a fleeting second but she masked it with a smile. Remus saw her and realized she shared many traits with her closest cousins. "I mean…yes I've dated before," she explained. "But none of them ever actually felt like love…" Tonks' attention swayed towards the end when she felt there was something odd about the field surrounding the Shrieking Shack that morning. It didn't feel _lonely_ like it always did.

"How do you know?" He needed to stop, but he couldn't. _It was curiosity…and even though curiosity killed the cat, that cat must've at least had a nice feeling of discovery before it died_, thought Remus. "How do you know you've fallen in love?"

Tonks ignored her paranoia and continued focusing her attention on Remus. "I'd know…when I can't stop thinking about him, when I smile as I picture the things we could do together, when I'd do anything for him without a second thought—when I'd choose him over the entire world." Tonks grew quiet and Remus could feel her eyes stealing glances at him.

"Is it hard? Falling in love?" He found himself asking. He liked talking to her too much.

"I don't think so," she said.

They were quiet as they walked together down the streets of Hogsmeade village. They were much too close, so close that for a long time both Remus and Tonks have treaded past the bond of friendship. Often they'd wonder about what was to come after friendship.

Remus caught her with the strength that'd returned to him as Tonks tripped over _his_ foot. "Careful Dora," he said and he held her close. Remus felt the heat rise within him and he realized his heart was beating way too fast to be healthy.

"Sorry," she said, feeling that love had deprived her of her wits. They walked into the healer, their awkward silence temporarily forgotten in the suffocating scent of herbs and potions.

With a pile of reports in her hands, Tonks stumbled gracelessly out of the dark blue bathroom stall. Her papers were flying and while using a wandless charm to put them all back together, Tonks grumbled about her misfortune. She wondered why of all places to choose from, Ministry workers had to use bloody bathroom stalls to get out of the Ministry.

"Blasted toilet," one woman grumbled, walking out with wet, squeaky shoes.

Tonks shook her head, wishing that the chimney in their apartment had been big enough for floo travel. She then headed out of the large, winding, but luckily very clean bathroom. It was very close to her apartment in London and once she got out, she only had a short walk home.

The sidewalk path was busy with people, muggles and magical folks alike. Tonks passed the row of ruby red phone booths and grumbled about her boring work day the whole way up the stone stairs, elevator, and to her burgundy red door.

Once Tonks opened the door to her apartment, she was suddenly attacked by a flying pillow cushion and her papers fell in all directions.

Startled, Tonks' wand was out and she hissed several swear words that would make her mother disown her and caused even her cousin Alexis to raise an eyebrow in astonishment.

"Language Tonksie," Sirius spoke as he jumped on top of her pile of reports and grabbed the pillow. "We have a kid in the house for god's sake."

"Sirius put the bloody pillow down!" she heard Silvia's voice shriek, her accent making her words barely understandable, as Sirius ran back into the hallway with Harry close behind. Harry gave Tonks an apologetic look before he vanished along with his godfather.

Tonks turned to Alexis who sat on the sofa, content with a half empty bottle of whiskey in her hand and watching the scene almost indifferently. "What in the world?"

"Don't ask me, I just got home," Alexis said quickly as she pushed herself off the sofa.

"I live with a bunch of freaks," Tonks shook her head and sighed as she bent down to pick up her fallen papers and headed into her room.

Inside the serenity that was her room, Tonks dropped down onto her bed and stared at the empty ceiling, taking a short break right after work. She knew she'd have a long night coming. It was after all, July 30th, and Sirius had something big planned for tomorrow's morning. For a while Tonks continued to stare at the ceiling, hoping to clear her mind but to no avail. She thought about Remus, because she knew he'd be coming over very soon that evening.

Tonks often wondered what it would be like if Remus wasn't cursed with lycanthropy. She wondered if he would've still been friends with Sirius in school, and if he and she would ever meet and become friends like they were. Tonks' mind then drifted off to the thought of whether or not she and Remus could be together, if he wasn't a werewolf.

She continued to wonder about what-ifs and what-could've-been. Eventually, Tonks' mind brought her to a conclusion that she didn't care if Remus was a werewolf or not. They met, she fell in love with him, and she could feel there was something, _something_ passionate between them, and she'd wait until Remus decides to acknowledge it.

There was suddenly a knock on her door and Tonks turned to see Alexis come in with Harry close behind her, waiting in the hallway.

"I told Harry he could sleep over at the Weasley's tonight since Sirius is kind of being…well, you know," Alexis said. "Do you want to bring him over or should I?"

Tonks sat up, remembering the simple little plan she, Sirius, and Alexis had devised a week ago. "I'll take him. What's Padfoot doing?"

Alexis turned leaned back and glanced down the hall. "Provoking an auror to kill him."

Putting up an act, Tonks resisted the urge to laugh and instead let out a long sigh. "I'll take you Harry," she said, smiling. "Lexi, you prevent the Second Wizarding War from unfolding," she told her cousin.

"Psh, I'd get myself killed," Alexis scoffed.

Returning to their living room, Tonks realized it'd be wise to get out of the apartment as quickly as possible. Sirius had only planned to pretend to instigate Silvia. Tonks felt she should've seen this coming. Instead of pretending, he really was irking her to no ends, going on and on about an embarrassing story of hers from their school days. Silvia was glaring at him, her wand in her hand looking like it was about to snap if she didn't hex him, and Sirius' mouth kept rambling on as if unaware that he was in imminent danger by a provoked auror.

Upon seeing the scene, Harry and Tonks subtly sprinted out of their apartment, slamming the burgundy door behind them and speed-walking down the hallway. They passed by a few muggles, most of which gave the pair very odd a skeptical looks. The looks were however, ignored as Harry and Tonks went into the empty elevator.

"I hate apparition," said Harry as they landed on the soggy dirt ground.

"Tell Lexi to get a house with a proper chimney," said Tonks.

"Oh, yuck!" Harry yelled when they'd stepped into a puddle of mud and rain.

Harry and Tonks treaded through the mucky front yard. They made their way up to the front porch of the Weasley's magical Burrow held together by magic with a bright red roof. Their shoes were covered in mud and dirt. After knocking on the door three times, Fred and George Weasley greeted them with what looked like a rubber chicken in their hands.

"Hello Harry. Hello Tonks," they grinned.

"Wotcher Fred, George," Tonks smiled.

"Here to hang out with Ron, Harry?" One twin said.

"He's upstairs. Better run before mum comes out screaming," the other twin laughed.

"Screaming?" Harry asked.

"More like shrieking." The twins nodded and Harry widened his eyes as he made for the stairs. Harry and Tonks had come to know a very pleasant, very kind, warm and friendly Molly Weasley. But after getting to know her, they'd also seen a very scary, protective, motherly Molly Weasley who scared the living daylights out of then when angered.

"What's Molly freaking out about?" Tonks asked upon hearing the muffled yells.

"Apparently letting garden gnomes into the kitchen was a very bad idea," Bill Weasley spoke as he joined them at the door, a guilty smile on his and his two brothers' face.

Tonks looked at them and simply shook her head. She didn't even want to know what sort of insanity those boys were bringing forth. "Ready to go?" she simply asked after sighing.

Sirius had invited the Weasley Twins and Bill to come over to their home and help set up for a party, Harry's birthday party the next day, knowing the Weasleys would love to help. Keeping it a secret from Harry, Tonks was to drop the boy off at the Burrow where Molly and Arthur had happily agreed to look after him for the night.

"Yes," Bill said, squeezing his way out the door.

"And we better hope Ronald doesn't do anything stupid," said one twin.

"Knowing him, he'd probably tell Harry everything."

"Including the surprise party we planned for him."

After an uncomfortable apparition, Tonks was back at her apartment and was unlocking the seven layers of protection charms placed on her door. When she and the three Weasleys went inside, Tonks was surprised to see the apartment in a tranquil state. Sirius and Silvia were peacefully bringing out and unshrinking the party decorations together while Alexis was rearranging the furniture.

"Did the Second Wizarding War finally end?" Tonks asked.

"Actually," said Sirius perking up from a pile of cardboard boxes. "It hasn't ended. It's only been postponed," he said glumly.

Silvia glared at him while Lexi stifled a laugh.

"Lexi!" the twins smiled and ran over to hide the young woman in a warm embrace.

"Hello Nymphadora," Remus Lupin said, walking out from the closet down the hall with an armful of wrapping paper and ribbons. He looked healthier than before, less shabby and less pale. A kind smile was upon his lips and there were no traces of grey in his hair.

"Wotcher Remus," she smiled.

"Hello, Bill Weasley," Bill said, coming up and shaking hands with Remus.

"Nice to meet you Bill. Remus Lupin," Remus replied and sat down on the ground as he placed the rolls of wrapping paper around him and set down a roll of clear tape.

After the greetings and introductions, they all got to work immediately. Silvia was in the kitchen, baking the birthday cake while slowly beginning to forgive Sirius and smiling at his obnoxious jokes. Sirius and Bill were levitating decorations into the air varying from colorful streamers and balloons to a large banner saying: "Happy Birthday Harry!" Alexis had shifted into blowing up balloons with the twins, popping more balloons than they were making. As for Tonks, she'd sat down beside Remus and was helping him wrap the presents in colorful and moving wrapping paper.

There were many conversations going around the landing and if Tonks listened closely, she could hear many interesting things.

"I was having such a hard time finding what to get Harry for his birthday," said Sirius.

"You know my brother Charlie from Romania's home. Why not get Harry a dragon?" said Bill with a joking tone. "Charlie can get one for you."

"Yes, let's put a fire-breathing dragon in here and provoke my cousin Lexi and Tonks to kill me in my sleep," Sirius laughed and threw a metallic blue streamer at Bill who laughed.

"Paddy you got the streamer on the cake!" said Silvia who pushed Sirius away playfully.

"Stop calling me Paddy! It sounds like a name for a three-year-old-girl," Sirius said, dropping on their dark grey sofa and sighing. "I'm beat. I'll leave the decorating to all of you."

Tonks smiled and shook her head. While Sirius, Bill, and Silvia were goofing around, Tonks heard an entirely different conversation going on with Alexis Black and the Weasley Twins. She could hear Lexi confiding in the twins about her relationship problems.

"Well think of it this way Lexi, Marrick's just trying to impress you," said one twin.

"Impress me?" Alexis laughed.

"Impress you," said the other twin. "He's trying to show you he can take care of you."

"Is that how you men think? That's just ridiculous!"

"Well that's how Georgie thinks I reckon," said Fred. Tonks was sure the one on the left was Fred now. "If he had a girlfriend, he'd try to show her he could take care of her too."

"True," said George. "Though I'd try to make her laugh more than try to impress her."

"Your tactic would work much better than Marrick's," Lexi grumbled.

Tonks tuned out of the conversation her cousin was having with the twins and returned to her present wrapping. Many times she'd steal a glance at Remus who sat across from her. He was much too quiet and she wondered why he was so.

"Nymphadora," Remus called.

"What?" she said but then mock scowled at him. "You have _got_ to stop calling me that."

A smug little smile appeared on Remus' face as he handed her a neatly wrapped present. "Can you put this on the counter for me?" he asked cordially.

Tonks wondered why he had to be so distant. They were friends after all, good friends, very good friends. "Sure," she said and pushed herself up. Tonks brought the meticulously wrapped present over to the counter and placed it down in a small pile of other colorful gifts.

She then turned and walked back to the corner beside the bookshelf where Remus sat still with boxes of unwrapped presents and wrapping paper all around. Tonks smiled at him and he smiled back, shyly. As she rounded the chaise that stuck out from their grey L-shaped sofa, she suddenly tripped over the leg and fell towards Remus.

His eyes widened and lit up with surprise. Remus was fast however, and Tonks was shocked when he dove forward and caught her, preventing her from flailing to the ground. Tonks landed in his arms, landing on him. She scrambled up to her knees and removed herself from him; her cheeks blushing madly even with her metamorphosing gift.

"Sorry Remus," she said, embarrassed. "Dead clumsy I am."

"Wow Nymphie," Sirius suddenly spoke. "Falling for Moony already?"

She turned and glared at her cousin. "Bugger off Padfoot."

"Not so friendly," he said and turned to the others, sharing a knowing smirk.

Remus smiled and sat back down in front of Tonks, helping her as she began wrapping one of Harry's many presents. Her pink hair had turned a pale pink, all the colors rushing to her burning cheeks instead.

Tonks and Remus worked in silence for a long time. Suddenly, Tonks broke the silence by saying something she hadn't even realized was spoken aloud.

"Where do we stand?"

"Pardon?" Remus replied, looking at her with kind eyes.

She cleared her throat and decided to ask him anyways. "Where do we stand Remus?"

He knew what she was talking about and almost instinctively, Remus rubbed the back of his neck, licked his lips, and sank back slightly.

"Never mind Remus," she sighed.

"There's something in between us," Remus spoke and Tonks' heart skipped a beat.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Me?" In all honesty, Remus wasn't quite sure what to do. Yes there was something in between them, something that could very well be love, but Remus couldn't bring himself to risk it. He didn't want to burden her, and loving her would only do just that.

"Nymphadora…I honestly don't know," he said and their conversation grew softer.

"Don't you ever…want to have something more than friendship with…someone?"

"I do," he answered. "But I can't. Because of who I am…_what_ I am, I can't. Nymphadora, I'd only burden and hurt the person I love."

"Then love someone strong," she said softly.

He shook his head with longing in his gentle blue eyes. "I can't. I can't risk it."

She nodded and kept her eyes on the wrapping paper she was trying to wrap around the square paper box. Tonks suddenly flinched and pulled her finger back. "Ouch!" she said. Her finger burned with a searing pain from her paper cut and Tonks made a face at how clumsy she was. She huffed, wondering why she had to be that way.

"Nymphadora are you ok?" he asked and looked at her finger with worry.

"I'm fine Remus," she smiled. "It's just a paper cut."

Her voice hitched when Remus' soft hands suddenly took hers into his. His hands were warm against her skin despite the rough appearance from the many scars he had. Remus wiped the blood off with his finger and in one gentle motion, healed her paper cut easily.

Tonks' emerald green eyes were fixated on him with such a look that burned with love, passion, and longing. She smiled slightly and muttered a quiet, almost inaudible "thank you."

Remus' eyes met hers and at once, he recognized that look in her eyes. Often he himself would mirror it, much too often.

"Nymphadora, I'm no angel…I'm a monster," he said and slowly released her hand.

"You're half right," she said. Her fingertips clung onto his and they both failed to break the contact between them. Slowly fingertips clung onto each other, scared that if they ebbed for more it would all vanish. "You are no angel. But you are no monster either."

A wistful smile grazed Remus' lips. "I'm an ordinary man, undeserving of you."

"Remus," she sighed. "Don't." She shook her head. "Can't you just…forget about all the risks and fears for once and—"

"We've talked about this before," he said. Although his lips spoke differently, inside, Remus longed to hold her and to kiss her again like he did before. He could still feel the ghost of their kiss, no matter how many months had passed.

"And we'll talk about it again. We'll talk about it until either you allow whatever is between us to progress naturally…or there is no longer anything between is," said Tonks. She wasn't feeling herself. Normally, Nymphadora Tonks would've just snogged the living daylights out of him. But she was dealing with Remus Lupin, and with him, she felt an unspoken sense to come at it gently, because it was more genuine.

Remus' lips parted. He was about to say something, something that Tonks felt she will never know…

"Lovebirds!" Sirius surprised them in a sing-song voice. "Sorry for ruining your moment. Just a fair warning, the _entire_ room is watching you." He showed them a Marauder-like smirk. "So, not to rush you or anything but if you could just go ahead and snog so that this motley crew can return to their work, that would be great." He leaned back. "Go on then."

The entire room _was_ looking at them and neither of them had noticed. Alexis had the same look on her face Tonks often saw when her cousin watched one of the addicting muggle television shows on the muggle box. Silvia was cutting aimlessly, her eyes on them and Sirius. Fred, George, and Bill were all pushing around their decorations without purpose, acting as if they hadn't been watching the metamorphmagus and professor for a long time.

Remus and Tonks blushed profusely. They were unable to look at each other and so shifted their gaze to give Sirius a threatening glare.

"Too long," Sirius sighed, rolled his eyes, and got back up. He waved his arms around, making the audience return to their work. "Alright folks, I tried but nothing's going to happen. Back to work. My godson's birthday is tomorrow," he called.

When Remus and Tonks' eyes met again, their blush deepened and they turned away. It felt weird and Tonks found the heart very puzzling. She now realized she knew nothing about the odd and peculiar ways love affected a person.

_Leave it to Padfoot to make a perfectly normal moment bloody awkward_, they both thought while still avoiding the others' eyes.

* * *

><p>Responses: (I'm trying out a new thing)<p>

RemusTonksFan: I'm a fan too! lol. and you're welcome, hope you like this chapter xD

Luiz4200: Oh my I forgot that Fudge announced this to muggles as well...god I'm terrible with technicalities. Anyways, thanks! I hope you like my story

Hannah: I hope it'll be great and you will enjoy it. Thank you!

tashagodricnorthmanxxx: thank you! i hope you like!

Dori1587: thank you! and thanks, I was trying not to make Silvia a Mary-Sue type character

Professor Pang: *hits my person "Thank you lots" button. I'll try to update every week, usually on the same day so please keep reading

Jocasta Silver: spoiler, I create three couples and have very different endings planned for each. thank you for reading!


	3. Flickering Candle Lights

**Author's Note:**

Another chapter up! I actually didn't plan to finish this chapter until next week because I take my SATs tomorrow. But, while I was studying I sort of got sidetracked and ended up finishing it. I hope you like this chapter. I'm having this story start out pretty slow to build up Remus and Tonks' relationship and all the other ones I have going on. Hope that's ok, anyways, thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and supporting! Thank you so much! xD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 03 – Flickering Candle Lights<strong>

_~No one ever admits to jealousy._

"Oi," she heard someone say. "Oi. Wake up."

Tonks tightened her shut eyes and turned her head. She flinched when someone slapped her face, softly. Slowly, she opened her eyes, immediately giving a glare at Sirius Black whose face was the first thing she saw. He showed her a toothy grin as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"I stand corrected. Waking up a trained auror isn't as intimidating as it sounds," he said, crossing his arms and looking at her. "I expected you to hex me or something."

"Padfoot, you're such an arse," she grumbled.

"Everyone says that," he sighed dramatically. "No one ever likes poor old Padfoot."

Sirius crawled over to wake Silvia who was lying peacefully asleep on their dark grey chaise. She wondered if Silvia would be the auror who would hex Sirius upon her arousal.

Across the room from them, Tonks could see her raven-haired cousin Alexis, lying peacefully asleep in a nest of redheads. Fred and George Weasley were asleep sitting up against the corner of the wall. Alexis had her head rested on one of the twins' shoulder, and Bill Weasley had his head rested on hers. It made Tonks wonder what kind of interesting conversations they must've had right before they drifted off to sleep. Alexis, like Tonks, had always been close to Bill. And Tonks found out that her cousin had gotten very close to the twins as well.

Something stirred and Tonks almost jumped at the shock. She looked beside her to see Remus, curled up very close to her with his eyes closed, serene in his slumber while the golden rays of the morning sun shined on him through their window. Remus' hand was on her arm and the heat was still present. Tonks realized they must've stayed that close the entire night.

Watching his sleeping face, she didn't have the heart to pull her arm out of his hold. If Nymphadora Tonks was honest, she'd admit that she didn't want to anyways. Tonks liked being close to Remus—it made her feel protected and accepted. The only problem was, because Remus is a werewolf, he feared of getting too close with her, even though he too liked the feeling of protection and acceptance. Tonks sighed, looking at his gently closed eyelids and wondering when those gentle blue eyes would accept the feeling, something more than friendship, between them.

"Oi! Come on! Wake up, wake up, wake up," said Sirius in a loud voice as he clapped his hands together and woke everyone up.

Alexis sat up wearily with her eyes half closed, Bill's head falling onto her lap by accident. The Weasleys bolted right up, startled by their loud, screaming wake up alarm. Silvia lifted her head up from the chaise as if there wasn't a crazy ex-prisoner screaming in her ear to wake up. Tonks could feel Remus stir awake. He shifted softly and rolled over to his back before opening his eyes and realizing he'd been so close to her the entire night.

Remus suddenly bolted right up and looked at her with surprise and a mixture of expressions in his eyes. "Uh…Nymphadora…sorry," he said and then blushed like mad.

She felt like laughing at the way he looked and acted. In one word, she'd have to say he was _cute_ as his face turned tomato red and a shy but Marauder like smirk appeared on his face. "Wotcher Remus," she said.

"Wotcher…I mean hello Nymphadora," he said nervously.

"Black! Weasley! I want you to go pick up Hermione from her parents' house for my godson's birthday party," Sirius ordered while Silvia rubbed her eyes and laughed softly.

"Which Weasley?" The three red headed brothers asked, looking back at the curly, raven-haired man in disarrayed robes with colorful streamers hanging off him.

"The older one who looks like a punk rock drummer from one of those bands Tonksie listens to," said Sirius who flared his nostrils and curled his lips in a funny expression.

"Oh, me," Bill laughed and along with the twins, helped a sleepy Alexis off the floor.

"You two help Silvia clean up and don't lace any of my food or drinks with one of your wicked Weasley creations."

"No promises," said one of the twins Tonks guessed to be Fred.

"We may just do it to mess with you Paddy," said the other twin, George, maybe.

Sirius made a face again when he realized that the Weasley twins have learned about his embarrassing nickname. "I'm going to request a restraining order for my family against you two if you call me Paddy ever again."

"Oh Paddy, calm down," Silvia sighed.

He waved a dismissive hand at her and turned to Remus and Tonks who were avoiding eye contact with each other. "And you, lovebirds, you get the important job."

Remus began rubbing the back of his neck and licking his lips while Tonks suddenly found her chipped nails very, _very_ interesting.

"Go over to the Burrow and pick Harry and the others up. Take your time with them. We might need a little bit more time after the sleepy start."

"What should we do in the meantime though?" Tonks asked, wondering how long they should keep Harry there and what Remus and Tonks should do until it came the time to bring Harry back to his surprise birthday party.

"I don't know. Do whatever lovebirds do—go snog and get some broom closet action for all I care," said Sirius who quickly strutted off into the kitchen, checking the cake inside the muggle icebox called a refrigerator.

Tonks began choking over air as she and Remus tried to fight away the awkwardness Sirius had caused with his previous words. She wanted to slap herself and to hex her cousin into the middle of next week. It felt as if Tonks would never be able to look Remus in the eye from then on without thinking about the things Sirius was suggesting. She felt utterly embarrassed.

* * *

><p>The walk from the Weasley's front yard up to the Burrow had been the most nerve-racking and awkward walk Tonks had ever been on. She couldn't bring herself to look Remus in the eye, and neither could he. No words were exchanged. The air was so quiet that Tonks swore she could hear her heart pounding inside her chest. In fact, it was so quiet that every slight movement, every reaction their body made could be heard—Tonks' stomach grumbling, Remus' breath hitching when he caught her after a subtle fall.<p>

When they got up to the front door of the Burrow, Tonks couldn't be gladder to kill the awkwardness. She didn't understand why she and Remus got into such odd situations lately, but they did. Arthur opened the door with a bright smile for them and Tonks exchanged her blush for a very wide grin, feeling less nervous and less jumpy.

"Hello Tonks! Hello Remus!" Arthur greeted kindly.

"Wotcher," said Tonks, gently nudging Remus inside first.

"Hello Arthur, Molly," said Remus who walked inside but waited for her.

"Harry just finished playing Quidditch with the others," Molly said, bustling around in the kitchen. "He may take a while. I'm making them all get the mud off of them. Andromeda always did say you and Lexi keep your apartment very clean."

"We try to Molly. It's rather difficult with Sirius there," Tonks smiled, knowing her mother's friendship with the kind Weasley matriarch.

"Oh yes Tonks, Remus, I've come across some luck at work and could get my hands on some tickets to this year's final match of the Quidditch World Cup. Would you and your family be interested in joining us?" Arthur asked as he brought them tea. "I haven't asked Harry yet, thinking I should perhaps ask his guardians. So would you be interested?"

"Blimey! I'd love to go!" said Tonks eagerly. "We're all Quidditch fans and I'm sure Sirius, and Lexi would love to go too! Remus, how about you?"

"Ah…um…well I'm kind of tied up the night before," he answered softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can make it."

"Oh that's fine Remus," said Arthur with an understanding smile. "We'll tell you how it goes. And Tonks, we'll make preparations later."

"Yes!" Tonks smiled, bouncing eagerly where she stood. During the excitement, Tonks did sneak a glance towards Remus and could see that sad look in his eyes. He wanted to go—she knew. However, Tonks also knew that that year's final match was the day right after the moon, and Remus wouldn't have the energy to watch it.

They stood at the foot of the stairs together, waiting. While Molly and Arthur were packing up the food they've made for Harry's birthday, Remus and Tonks talked softly where they stood. Remus was smiling at her and trying to hide his blush while Tonks rocked back and forth on her heels, trying not to lose herself in his gentle eyes.

"You're sure you don't want one of us to stay with you during the next moon?"

"I'm sure," Remus said and nodded. "Sirius needs to see this. He deserves it, after being wrongfully locked up for so long. Lexi loves Quidditch almost as much as she loves her family. I wouldn't want to stand between her and that. And you, did you see how excited you were when Arthur and Molly invited you?" He smiled.

"Well…you know, Quidditch doesn't mean the world to me," said Tonks.

"But neither do I. Nymphadora, I don't want to trouble you any more than I already do. You haven't missed one month, and you always took care of me kindly."

"But you do mean the world…I mean our friendship means the world to me," said Tonks quickly. "I'd rather stay with you during the full moon than go to the final match."

"It's really no fun staying with me. You should go. You deserve a vacation."

"It's actually quite fun staying with you," Tonks said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Remus was quiet for a moment, unsure of what else to say. He didn't want to get into another argument with her about how much he's worth to her. The last argument they had, Tonks had stopped talking to him for a whole week until he finally admitted he deserved some care!

"Nymphadora…" he began softly, shyly. "Whatever is between us…do you ever wonder if it's anything more…more than friendship?" That was his heart speaking, because the level-headed and very logical Remus Lupin wouldn't dare ask her that. Remus felt there was something more, but he didn't want it to be an illusion and had to make sure.

An unreadable expression crossed her emerald eyes. Tonks parted her lips about to say something but before she could, their conversation was suddenly cut short by a mirthful greeting.

"Tonks!" someone yelled—a voice Remus didn't recognize.

They looked up towards the top of the staircase. Remus saw the face of a young Weasley boy, perhaps around Tonks' age, whom he didn't recognize. After going through all the names, he could only guess that the young man was Charlie Weasley, the brother from Romania Ron, Fred, and George often talked about.

"Charlie!" said Tonks reservedly, taken by surprise.

Charlie Weasley flew down the stairs and in one quick motion, swept Tonks up and hugged her, spinning in circles. Remus watched them from the side, not missing Tonks' surprise smile that floated onto her face. He couldn't help but feel sad when he admitted to himself that that was where Tonks should be. An aspiring young auror like Tonks should be with someone like Charlie Weasley, young, energetic, fun, and can keep up with her. Whereas he, Remus Lupin, just didn't seem to fit right with her.

Remus felt as if Tonks and Charlie were fitting pieces of a puzzle while he and Tonks were the unfitting pieces of the same puzzle.

"Put me down you dragon-loving-freak!" Tonks laughed.

"Alright! Don't hex me you hair-changing-freak," Charlie laughed. "Oh my apologies. I'm Charlie Weasley," he said and shook hands with Remus.

"Remus Lupin. Nice to meet you."

"You're my brothers' teacher! They talked about you and absolutely love your class!"

"I-I'm flattered," said Remus shyly, not wanting to get in between Charlie and Tonks as the two old friends grinned at each other.

"I haven't seen you in so long! You never write either!" said Charlie to Tonks.

"Alright Charles, you're starting to sound like my mum."

Remus had planned on staying quietly to the side. He never expected for Tonks to pull back into their conversation from moments ago.

"By the way Remus, the question you asked me." Her eyes turned serious and Remus could sense an unspoken message in her voice. "Yes. I wonder about that all the time."

His heart tempted him to talk more about it with her, but seeing that they were no longer alone, Remus only nodded and gave her a soft smile. The kids came down one by one, laughing.

"Wotcher all," Tonks greeted happily. She stayed standing near Remus however and her shoulders faced him more, as if to say their one-on-one conversation still hadn't ended.

* * *

><p>"Happy birthday Harry!" the crowd yelled with glee.<p>

The lights were dim and a faint candle glow lit up the living room. Gathered around the small coffee table, Harry Potter and his closest friends and families sat. In front of the boy was a large birthday cake, beautifully made with the words _Happy Birthday Harry_ written in icing. There were fourteen candles on the cake and the flames swayed back and forth.

"Make a wish Harry," said Sirius with a camera ready to capture the moment.

Harry beamed. His eyes lit up like twinkling stars. A smile brighter than the morning sun appeared on Harry's face. He laced his fingers together on the table and closed his eyes to make a wish. Tonks watched quietly, curious to know what the young boy was wishing for—no doubt his doting godfather would find a way to make his wish come true.

While Harry whispered his wish to the candles, Tonks looked around. Her eyes fell on Charlie who was looking at her. He flashed a familiar Charlie-Weasley-grin and Tonks gave him a Tonks-like grin back. Her eyes then travelled from Charlie and saw Alexis, sitting right in the middle of the Weasley twins. They were whispering something to her, plotting a prank no doubt. Tonks knew her cousin and she knew the twins well enough to predict that much.

She looked around. Andromeda was seated on the armchair beside Ted, both smiling. Sirius was grinning like a fool beside Silvia at Andromeda's foot, eagerly waiting to question Harry about his wish. Arthur and Molly Weasley were smiling to themselves, genuinely happy for Harry. Bill was beside Tonks, trying to calm Ron and Hermione down from a whispering argument while Ginny watched Harry but rolled her eyes at Ron.

And then her eyes fell on Remus who sat beside her. There was a subtle smile on his scar-crossed face. It was subtle, but Tonks could see he was genuinely happy. The smile seemed like one from many years ago. She didn't know him then. But Tonks guessed that on Harry's last birthday party Remus went to, he'd worn the very same smile. That was before all those things happened in his life. Tonks wished she'd see that lighter, less burdened smile more often.

Harry opened his eyes and blew out the fourteen candles all in one breath. The group clapped and smiled as he did so and Tonks blinked once when a bright flash struck from Sirius' camera. They were laughing and clapping Harry on the back as they questioned him on his wish.

"What'd you wish for mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah Harry, tell us," the twins said.

"No. Just tell me," said Sirius. "Here, whisper it into my ear."

Harry laughed while shaking his head. "If I tell you, it won't come true," he said in a childish, innocent voice, his smile etched onto his face.

The lights suddenly flickered. It flickered once. It flickered twice. The crowd grew quiet immediately, looking around with bemused expressions at the flickering lights. On the third flicker, the lights in the apartment turned off entirely, plunging them into darkness. The light from the windows didn't light up much and casted a very dark blue glow over the room.

"Lexi, what's wrong with the lights?" Silvia asked.

Alexis didn't say a word for it was one question even she didn't know the answer to.

"The power probably just went out," said Hermione, knowing more about muggle workings than most of them.

"The apartment is very old," said Sirius in a low voice.

Tonks raised an eyebrow with an odd look. The apartment wasn't that old. She turned to Remus who looked equally confused as he looked around.

Sudden gasps filled the room when the candles on Harry's birthday cake suddenly flickered. That was odd. They were blown out just seconds ago. The flickering candle lights scared them all and Tonks suddenly grew paranoid. It was a bad sign. Subconsciously, she placed her hand over her wand, looking around in the darkness.

When the lights turned back on and the flickering candle lights stopped, various expressions were casted upon all their faces. Some had fear, some had confusion, some had worry, and some (Ron) had a pure clueless expression.

"Gotcha!" Sirius yelled and laughed a mad, barking laugh.

"Sirius Black you great big dolt!" Silvia cried, smacking him constantly.

The room took a breath.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you're afraid of the dark," Sirius joked.

"Sirius, you'll never stop, will you?" Andromeda sighed but there was something odd in her tone. She looked at Sirius with subtly questioning eyes and no one but Tonks, Sirius, and Alexis had noticed.

They cut the cake and the party went on with most of the others thinking that it had been Sirius who played a little joke on them by turning off all the lights. Tonks and Alexis talked quietly to each other while the younger kids were opening presents and the adults talked.

"Why aren't you talking with Remus?" Alexis asked with a smirk.

"I can't," said Tonks softly. She took a bite of the cake. "I try to. But I just never get to say what I really want to say."

"That you are completely mad for him and smitten by him and you can't go a day without thinking about our dear old bookworm Moony?" Lexi teased with a knowing smile.

"No…well yes…shut up Lexi." Tonks blushed.

"Tonksie, you've got to stop beating around the bushes. Get to the point. Otherwise…if you keep waiting you'll only cause yourself more problems."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at Charlie," Alexis said and Tonks looked up to see Charlie smile at her. "He's still not over you. You wouldn't want to lead him on now do you?"

"No, I don't. I'll talk to Charlie later. But…I can't say what I have to say to Remus. It's so hard when we talk because I think about it and then get nervous."

"Don't think. Thinking is dangerous anyways. Just go with what your heart says."

"Easier said than done."

"Not when you're a little tipsy," Lexi smirked.

With a wave of her hand, the books in the corner bookshelf suddenly floated out, revealing a handle to a secret compartment. Alexis revealed at least five full, unopened bottles of firewhiskey, surprising most eyes in the room. Sirius was especially surprised as his eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"Wow, you better give me some of that," said Sirius, entranced by the whiskey bottles.

"No. You were being annoying earlier, scaring us with all the lights."

Sirius' expression suddenly turned serious. He leaned closer to both his cousins and whispered to them so that only they could hear. "I already spoke with Andromeda and Moony about this and meant to tell you two as well. But it wasn't me who messed with the lights."

"What do you mean?" Tonks and Alexis whispered together, irritated.

"I mean that it wasn't me. I didn't tamper with the lights or do anything."

They grew quiet with worry showing on their faces. "Bugger," said Alexis.

"Not good. I know."

"No," said Tonks. "Constant vigilance…these can't be just coincidences…Harry's constant nightmares…the flickering lights."

"I know what you mean," Sirius nodded. "It's like this in every muggle movie Harry and I saw on the muggle box. The lights flicker and something bad happens."

"We'll talk about this later," Alexis said, holding up her bottles of whiskey. "There's no good in causing them to worry."

Sirius nodded while Tonks asked, "So what do you suggest we do now?"

"Pick up with what we were doing before." Alexis looked around with a solemn look that turned lighter and more casual. "Sirius, continue acting like an idiot. Tonks, you talk."

Tonks knew what Alexis meant when she said 'talk'. She wondered how she would talk to him though, with so much on her mind. Her eyes glanced towards Remus who was chatting amiably with Bill about something. Tonks opened her mouth, about to ask her cousin how exactly she would be able to talk to him but Alexis silenced Tonks with her announcement.

"Who's up for some firewhiskey?" Alexis called and many hands came up.

Unable to process her thoughts into proper words, Tonks sighed and continued to sit there as she wondered what she would say to Remus. She wished the heart wasn't as puzzling and that love would just lay itself out for her. She wanted to be with Remus and she needed him to know that his lycanthropy doesn't affect anything, but she didn't know how to say it in genuine words.

"Hello Tonks," Charlie's young and sweet voice sounded beside her, surprising Tonks.

"Wotcher Charles," she greeted along with a bright grin.

"You seem like you have a lot on your mind. What is wrong with my colorful friend?"

"How do you know?" Tonks asked.

"I'm still your best friend," he smiled and took a large bite of his piece of cake.

"Right, I nearly forgot after you abandoned me for your dragons," she retorted jokingly.

"Hey-hey, I'm sorry," he laughed and apologized.

"I swear Charlie, if it's legal, you should just marry a dragon."

"Eh, I don't know what my mum would say about that. I think she prefers me with a girl, one she knows. You know how mums are."

"Tell me about it," said Tonks, understanding her mother and the slight prejudice Andromeda Tonks harbored against Remus after finding out her only daughter often spent the full moon with him.

"I'll tell you about me later. Now tell me why you look so troubled."

"You really want to know?" Tonks smirked.

"Of course."

"In all honesty…I haven't been feeling myself lately," Tonks began.

She hadn't planned to get into a long and length conversation with Charlie about the innocent past they shared together. Tonks had wanted to speak with Remus, but she couldn't bring herself to push away her best friend whom she hadn't seen for such a long time. Even though Tonks and Charlie were no longer in a romance together, they were still friends after all, and she couldn't just leave him midway in a conversation.

* * *

><p>A blade of the crescent moon hung high in the night sky. The moon was cold and pale, but for Remus Lupin, he surprisingly didn't feel the same. Instead, standing out in the balcony and glancing back at the rowdy party inside, he felt warm and accepted. Everyone there knew who he was and what he was. But yet, the feeling they gave him made him feel like he belonged as if he wasn't made an outcast for most of his life.<p>

He glanced back and smiled softly. Harry and Ron were trying to sneak firewhiskey from Alexis' watchful eye while the young girl chatted animatedly with Bill, Fred, and George. Sirius was talking to Ted and Arthur about something while Hermione and Ginny seemed to be having a girls' talk. Andromeda was in the kitchen with Molly, and finally Remus' eyes fell upon her pink hair. Tonks was sitting beside her old friend Charlie, talking and smiling about something only they knew about. She looked so fitting beside Charlie. Remus felt that it was where she was supposed to be, with someone whole and worthy rather than him…

"Hello Remus," Silvia's gentle voice called out to him.

Remus turned back to his old classmate whom he'd gotten to know much better over the past few months. She smiled at him and stepped outside to stand beside him on the balcony, two glasses of firewhiskey in her hands.

"Can you help me finish this up? Lexi and I are trying to keep all the alcohol away from Padfoot and the kids," she told him.

He took one glass off her hand and took a small sip. He'd known Silvia White ever since his years at Hogwarts, but never has he shared a drink with her. "Thank you Silv," he said, calling her by the nickname those close to her called her.

The Spanish woman gave him a sweet smile and looking at her, Remus suddenly remembered those sleepless nights back in school when Sirius would keep him awake talking endlessly about the Spanish beauty in their grade.

"Why aren't you inside joining the party?" she asked.

"I felt I needed some fresh air," he said softly. Unknowingly, Remus' eyes flickered over to Tonks who was still sitting with Charlie, both now bent over laughing about something. He couldn't help it. A sad, sorrowful smirk appeared on Remus' face.

"Remus, I know it's not my business to ask, but what are you going to do with this knot you've tied for yourself?" Silvia asked him gently.

He knew exactly what she meant by knot. It was obvious. Even Silvia could see that there was something, something very evident and raging between Remus and Tonks.

"I honestly don't know," he sighed. "There's nothing I can do but hope that one day, she'll realize that she deserves much better than me and move on with her life," he told her sadly. There was something about Silvia, perhaps it was her comfort and understanding that made her easy to talk to. Or perhaps like him, she was close to his age and understood his thoughts of love.

"Do you really want that?" Silvia asked him suddenly.

There was a slight pause, but Remus nodded, still stealing glances at Tonks.

"Can I tell you what I think Remus?" She continued again after looking up at him. "I think that you don't want her to move on with her life at all. You want to have the chance to fall in love like any other man, and there's that chance Remus." Silvia gestured to a smiling Nymphadora Tonks. "You're just afraid to take it."

He was quiet. Remus was about to reply, but Silvia's words were too true.

"I see jealousy Remus," she smirked mischievously, a smirk that was similar to Sirius'.

"Jealousy?" Remus smiled, taking another sip of his whiskey as he hid a blush.

"You've been stealing glances at Tonks all night, watching her as she talks with Charlie Weasley. Even someone as inattentive as Padfoot can see." She gestured to a goofy Sirius who was dancing inside with a lampshade on his head—obviously Lexi had failed keeping him away from the whiskey.

"I can't help it. Nymphadora really stands out in a crowd," Remus defended.

"Or you're jealous that she's now talking to Charlie and not you. You wish you're the one she's talking to," Silvia smirked but her words were gentle.

"One part of that is true. I want to talk to her, I like talking to her. But I'm not jealous."

"No one ever admits to jealousy, Remus," Silvia smiled and shook her head.

He looked down at his half empty wine glass and cleared his throat subtly. "What about you and Sirius then?" Remus asked, hoping to steer the conversation far away from him.

"What about us?" Silvia asked as if unaware of the chemistry and sparks between her and the ex-prisoner, her old flame.

"You're very smart Silv. Don't tell me you haven't noticed the way Sirius looks at you."

"If by that you mean that he glares at me whenever I yell at him for doing something stupid, then yes I _have_ noticed that. Merlin, it's like…"

"Like you're an old married couple?" The Marauder inside Remus spoke aloud, causing Silvia to laugh slightly and playfully slap his arm.

Remus enjoyed talking with Silvia, a friend and someone his age. They could tease each other as if they were school kids, and they could talk about the turbulence of life from a similar perspective from their generation.

"Tonks is coming over here," Silvia said suddenly as she spotted the pink haired auror approaching them with a bright smile. "I'll leave you two alone," she said cordially.

As Silvia returned to the party, Nymphadora Tonks joined Remus out on the balcony, her pink hair subtly shifting to a soft and gentle baby blue that matched Remus' eyes.

"Wotcher Remus. Sorry if I'm intruding on your personal time but I needed some fresh air too," she smiled. It seems that after a conversation with their individual friends, Remus and Tonks no longer felt as awkward around each other. Perhaps their pent up shyness had evaporated with words from their friends.

"It's fine Nymphadora, this is your house remember?" Remus smiled.

"Remus John Lupin I swear to god I will cause you so much pain if you keep calling me by that horrid name," said Tonks with a smile.

Her words made Remus laugh and they ended up laughing softly together, finding things a lot more humorous than it actually was. It was as if being in the presence of one another was making them ecstatic and high—it was as if love was a drug.

"Hey Remus, guess what I realized after my talk with Charlie," Tonks said suddenly.

"What did you realize?" he asked, curious to know and unknowingly bending closer.

"Well I was confiding in him how I don't quite feel myself lately…"

"Why don't you feel yourself?" Remus asked.

"I don't know. It's hard to explain. I feel that I'm not the rowdy, unpredictable, and loud Tonks that I used to be. Lately I've been kind of…"

"Reticent?" Remus asked, finishing her sentence for her.

"Yes, that word," she smiled.

"I guess you could say that. I haven't really seen you being rowdy and completely unpredictable," said Remus, nodding his head side to side in thought. "Although I met you when you were on a mission so I guess you had to be serious for that," Remus continued to ramble.

For a short while, Tonks stood there and watched him. She liked listening to him talk, watching the little gestures he made while speaking, and hearing his voice. Suddenly, a certain temptation took her over and during that one weak moment when she realized the moment was so right, Tonks gave in to her temptations.

Under the starry sky and the shining crescent moon, Tonks suddenly felt her emotions heightened. She felt an attraction towards Remus, an attraction much deeper than simple infatuation. As his lips moved to the words he spoke, Tonks suddenly did something even she hadn't seen coming.

She suddenly leaned forward and placed her lips on his. The moment her skin touched his, a sensation of warmth, love, protection, and acceptance shot through his body, rippling in gentle waves. Remus held her and he felt his hold on her tighten. Her lips were soft and he could feel her warmth radiate off her skin. However, she did nothing more than that. Her lips rested on his for mere seconds. Quick as lightning, she removed them and he suddenly felt cold again. It was as if she was teasing him, wanting him to be the one to go the final distance.

When Tonks pulled back, he looked into her eyes. Remus became confused, because there was a slight trace of unsteady alcohol within her look, but there was also a lingering feeling of genuine honesty and love. He wondered if Nymphadora Tonks was drunk and influenced by the audacious drink of alcohol, or she was simply acting on an impulse she'd been afraid to acknowledge. He held her face for a closer look. But she pulled away.

Remus watched her go inside and rejoined the party that seemed to have moved on without them. The party and the people seemed clueless of the emotional turmoil of the werewolf professor and colorful auror. Remus wondered what to do from then…with a teasing kiss from the colorful woman still lingering upon his lips.

* * *

><p>The party was long over and the usually neat and tidy apartment was scattered with balloons, streamers, ribbons, food, drinks, and shredded gift wrappings. With Harry asleep in the room he shared with Sirius, the three cousins laid sprawled out on the floor of the living room. Each had a bottle of whiskey in their hand while their eyes were red and bloodshot.<p>

"I declare myself King of Firewhiskey," said Sirius with his words slurring.

"Well your highness," Alexis drawled. "You owe me at least a dozen bottles of whiskey."

"Don't forget the nineteen records of mine that you broke," Tonks added.

"How did you manage to break nineteen records anyways?"

"I _was_ dancing with a lampshade on my head," said Sirius as-a-matter-of-factly.

"That reminds me. You owe me a new lamp," Alexis laughed.

"I'll pay you back when I get a job."

"I'm sorry Lexi but that won't happen," Tonks laughed.

"Don't remind me," Alexis groaned and rolled over to her side.

"Oh yes Tonksie, how did your talk with Moony go tonight? Silvia came in and I noticed you coming out to be alone with him," Sirius said, hiccupping.

Tonks stared up at the empty ceiling, spotting a speck on the white paint that caught her bloodshot eyes. There was a thoughtful look in her eyes and she heaved a heavy sigh. "I'd say it wasn't a disaster. At least everything is laid out on the table now. I did everything I can. As for Remus…I don't know."

"Nymphie Tonks you are hopeless," Alexis groaned and rolled over onto her stomach. "Actually, you and Remus both are hopeless."

"I agree with Lexi Black," Sirius hiccupped. "Just give it some time cuz."

She half sighed and half groaned at the same time as she rolled over to her side and hugged her throbbing head. The one thing Tonks, and probably even Sirius and Alexis hated about firewhiskey was the strong hangover once the partying and fun was all gone. It was one of the worst headaches she'd ever gotten.

The three bolted upright when they suddenly heard screaming. Frantic eyes turned and faced each other. None of them were screaming. The only other person in the apartment was Harry. Immediately, Tonks, Alexis, and Sirius staggered onto their feet and stumbled into Harry's room.

Inside the pitch darkness, they found Harry rocking back and forth in the corner of his bed, his eyes mad and his forehead dripping with cold sweat. He looked completely terrified. The young boy was petrified by fear and he continued rocking back and forth hugging his legs.

"Harry," Sirius called, falling onto the bed. "Harry, are you alright?"

He immediately pulled the teenage boy into his arms and held him as if holding a toddler child. Harry was _that_ scared and Alexis and Tonks felt uncomfortable just standing by the door and watching. They came over and kneeled beside him and Sirius at the foot of the bed. Tonks stroked his back in what she hoped to be a calming gesture while Alexis cooed him in a soft, mellow voice she rarely ever uses.

"Shh. It'll be alright," said Alexis. "It's just a dream Harry. We're here. No one's going to hurt you."

Poor young Harry looked as if he was on the verge of tears. "It's him," he stuttered. "He…he's coming back. He's coming back!" Harry cried in a broken and breathy voice.

"Who Harry?" Sirius asked but he suddenly already knew the answer.

"Voldemort." Never before had they heard Harry say his name with such fear and terror ringing in his voice. Harry was so shaken. He was practically trembling beneath Sirius' hold and Tonks' quelling hand.

"Harry it's just a dream," Tonks told him and he nodded blankly.

"Just a dream kiddo. No harm in a dream," said Sirius. He was trying to calm Harry, but Sirius and his two cousins exchanged worried looks in the silent darkness of the room. They could practically read each other's mind by the similar looks in their eyes. Tonks glanced outside to the open window where an eerie breath of wind stroked their cheeks. She worried—and that time she knew it wasn't just her growing paranoia.

"Just a dream," Tonks whispered, reminding Harry and herself.

* * *

><p>Responses:<p>

RemusTonksFan: thanks for understanding! I hope you continue to like this story xD thanks for reading!

Naina15: I love AU too, mainly because I have more freedom writing AU stories. And thank you for the complement xD also, yes, an ALIVE Sirius Black is good...I miss him, sob.

Madie-Loo: Thank you so much! I'm still trying to improve on my writing but since you say you like it, I guess I'm doing good, gonna keep improving though! thanks for reading!

Jocasta Silver: You're going to notice that Sirius ruins a lot of moments ;D lol and I love the twins, it's hard to write about one without the other. As for Harry and a dragon, if Sirius gets him one he's going to want to kill him after the tournament xD anyways, thanks for reading!


	4. The Meaning of Words

**Author's Note:**

And the plot moves forward! So I'm somewhat going well developing my characters a bit more and now comes (slowly, bit by bit) the main plot of this story. I hope you like my take and twist of the Goblet of Fire events. Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and supporting!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 04 – The Meaning of Words<strong>

All night, he kept tossing and turning in his bed. It was hard for him to fall asleep when there were so many thoughts running through his mind and he had no methods to express them. Without sleep, Remus woke up in the morning, tired and weary from a restless night. He rubbed his eyes as he glanced out his window towards the brightly shining summer sun. Upon contact with its brightness, Remus cringed.

He dragged himself off his bed and went through with his daily morning rituals. The entire time however, Remus' mind remained focused on one person. He couldn't stop thinking about a certain pink-haired auror whose lips he longed to taste again and touch he yearned to feel again. Remus had thought about her, Nymphadora Tonks, before, but never as much as he did then. It was near the point of obsession but no matter how hard he tried to get his mind away from her, it would always drift back to those close contacts and reserved kisses.

Running a shaky hand through his disheveled hair, Remus let out a long sigh. He'd be lying to himself if he said he felt nothing for her in return. But despite those strong feelings he had, he still couldn't bring himself to get any closer to her. Remus had always feared his identity as a werewolf would burden those he loved, and that was just the case with Tonks.

"I've gone mad," Remus sighed and dropped his head in his hands.

It was quiet around him and he was alone. Sitting in the middle of his one-bedroom apartment in the middle of Surrey, Remus' thoughts echoed in the silence. His apartment was small and lacking in furniture but still cozy and warm nonetheless. The kitchen was small and sat in the corner beside the door to the bathroom. A worn mattress sat in another corner with messy sheets on top. There was a small fireplace on the far side of the room away from the two windows he'd been granted with. And on the floor there were books and papers everywhere, evidence of the bookworm within him going insane.

Never before in his life had he ever felt that way. Remus knew he felt for Tonks and she'd made it more than obvious that she felt something towards him as well. Every normal man would be happy. However, Remus was conflicted. He wanted so badly to charge straight ahead with that romance, but still his worries regarding his lycanthropy and the full moons were holding him back.

Thoughts about Nymphadora Tonks became dominant in his mind. It'd been that way ever since Tonks laid everything out on the table with her fleeting, teasing kiss upon his lips at Harry Potter's fourteenth birthday party. And now Remus was left facing a conflicted heart and mind, pulling apart in between logical and illogical thoughts.

Eventually, Remus would try to think about something else but her. He turned to his windowsill where that morning's edition of _The Daily Prophet_ sat neatly upon his pile of old and yellowing leather bound books. Hoping he'd find a distraction there, Remus lifted himself from the wooden floor in the center of the room and came over to pick the newspaper up.

He held it in his hands and flipped through several pages. Reading had always helped Remus detach himself from reality, and he was trying to read now. His eyes skimmed the articles of the wizard newspaper and suddenly, one particular headline in black, shifting bolded print stood out to him. Remus read it closer.

**Mysterious Happenings in **_**Little Hangleton  
><strong>__Muggles firmly believe in story of ghosts from an old haunted mansion._

The name of the town struck a sense of familiarity into Remus. He'd heard of that town, sometime before. Remus failed to remember what the town was related to and how he heard it though, and so he just continued on skimming through the paper.

**Rumor Has It…You-Know-Who plans a comeback  
><strong>_Many witches and wizards are hearing dodgy whispers and rumors stating You-Know-Who's return, said to happen sometime this year. Panic strikes and the Ministry plunges into even more problems following the ones they're already facing._

His eyes lit up at that article. Sirius had told him about the odd occurrences that'd been happening much too often lately, ever since they brought Harry over from the Dursleys. Reading the article over again, Remus began to worry. He wondered how the Ministry would deal with all these rumors and how Sirius, Tonks, and Lexi would be able to keep Harry comforted.

One thing led to another and eventually Remus began thinking about Tonks again. She was an auror and no doubt she would be the first one receiving a whiplash from all these ominous instances happening mostly around her. His thoughts about her only grew and grew and eventually, feeling frustrated, Remus tossed the paper aside and crawled over to his bed. He sat himself in the corner and pulled his knees up to his chest while his eyes bore a piecing gaze through the wooden floor. Remus was wondering what to do about his feelings for Tonks, feelings that were beginning to scorch him. He had to do something less he gets burned.

* * *

><p>"Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement," a cold, chilling voice spoke over their head as the wrought golden grills to the crowded lift slid open.<p>

Tonks stumbled gracelessly out, catching herself just before she fell and hit the floor. She straightened herself and continued walking as if nothing happened. Weaving through the farm of cubicles that was the auror department, Tonks was making her way to Kingsley's office. She wondered why he called her so urgently—so urgent that her auror badge had literally burned a mark onto her thigh. Whoever came up with the idea of burning auror badges really is a moron, Tonks thought.

"Kingsley," she called, walking into his office without knocking. "What did you need me for?" she asked in one quick breath. "What's so urgent?"

When Tonks stepped inside, she wasn't surprised to see Spanish Auror Silvia White sitting in one of two chairs across from Kingsley's desk. Seeing Silvia there, Tonks could easily guess that she'd soon be assigned another mission. She only hoped that on this mission, she would be given more of a challenge. The last one had taken her a full five minutes to solve the field work part of her job, but a whole five days to finish the lengthy and mundane written report.

"Tonks, glad you came," Kingsley said, beckoning her to sit down. He continued speaking again as Tonks took her seat beside Silvia and smiled to her longtime friend and co-worker. "I've got a new mission for you both, recommendations from Mad-Eye and Scrimgeour himself," said Kingsley as he ruffled through a thick pile of papers.

"What's the mission about?" Silvia asked, taking the words out of Tonks' mouth.

Sitting there, Tonks was filled with eagerness to finally go on another mission and get away from the office. She wondered if she and Silvia would be sent off on a winding investigation to track down some powerful dark wizard, or one of those twisted mistaken identity cases she'd always seen in the books. Her mind ran through the many crimes that she and Silvia could have been assigned to investigate. Surely with two aurors, the case should be interesting.

"A muggle man had gone missing…"

Her hopes and initial excitement plummeted and Tonks could see Silvia's motivation fall as if pushed off a high cliff by words alone. "You're serious?" Tonks asked.

"Kingsley, you called us in so urgently for this?"

"So urgent that you'd nearly burned a whole in my thigh, all because some muggle had gone missing?" said Tonks dryly. She thought that Kingsley must really be crazy.

"Wait a minute you two, there's more to the case," he said quickly with a sigh and an eye roll. "I don't know exactly why, but this mission is ranked as a Class A mission."

Tonks and Silvia both widened their eyes in surprise. Class A missions were supposed to be extremely difficult. They were usually ones assigned to the likes of Mad-Eye Moody. Tonks didn't quite know what Silvia thought about this but she personally didn't understand how finding a muggle man who'd lost his way was so difficult. Missions like those were given to trainee aurors. She'd done them before, alone as well. Tonks had embarrassingly been sent on more of those than she'd cared to admit.

"This whole system is buggered I tell you," said Tonks while Silvia nodded to Kingsley.

"Let's just get straight to the briefing, King," Silvia sighed.

Kingsley shrugged, handing them the thin case folder. "Scrimgeour's orders," he said. "The muggle man has been missing for exactly a week. After the muggle police found small traces of simple magic around his house, they turned it over to us."

Tonks made a face while Silvia nodded and listened aptly.

"The muggle man's name is Frank Bryce, born August 1917, age 76. Him being a muggle, we don't know much about him so that part you'll have to investigate for yourself."

"Little Hangleton?" said Tonks suddenly. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

Kingsley shrugged again and gave Silvia a pleading look, exchanging an unspoken message with her that asked her to look after Tonks on this mission.

"I don't know Tonks," Kingsley said afterwards. Contact me if you two need any help. This case isn't classed as confidential for some odd reason, and I'm quite sure you can get aid from a few helpful and well-informed citizens if they have the time. The more minds on this the faster and easier it'll be. I just can't shake off why something like this is a Class A mission, sorry." Tonks and Silvia both knew that by a few others, Kingsley meant Alexis, Sirius, Remus, and anyone else who had information of any relevance at all. "I have to go to a meeting with Fudge. See you later Silvia, Tonks," he added quickly, striding out of his office in large steps.

Tonks looked up and before she even had a chance to say 'bye', Kingsley was already gone and a good distance down the long, marble hallway.

Flipping through the pages of scarce information on their case, Tonks huffed and blew a strand of pink hair out of her eyes. She was hoping to become a wonderful auror. Too many times had Tonks heard Moody go on about how there was so much one could learn from a single mission. Tonks wondered what in the world she could possibly learn from this ruddy mission.

"So much for the dark wizard catching and mistaken identity cases," Tonks groaned.

"Come on Tonks," Silvia laughed softly and shook her head. "It's just work. We'll get this case done soon enough and be open for the next big scandal," she comforted.

"I just don't get why he assigned you and me of all people a petty case like this."

"That is life, my colorful friend," Silvia sighed.

Tonks continued to groan and complain as she dragged herself out of Kingsley's office with a pout. It was only mid-day, so that meant she and Silvia still had some investigating to do unless she wanted another warning letter from Umbridge for skipping out of work. Upon realizing the fact, Tonks groaned loudly while stumbling into the empty lift.

"Tonks, since it's a relatively short case, do you want to split up and work on this? I'll gather information from the archives and you can do research on the field. Unless you want it the other way around," Silvia said in the lift, searching for ways to save them both time.

"We'll do it your way," said Tonks. "I need to get myself out of this building once in a while," she sighed.

* * *

><p>The moment she stepped foot into Little Hangleton, a subtle feeling of drear fell upon her. It came so unexpectedly but the subtlety grew stronger and the drear seeped deeper through her skin. So much that Tonks had decided to morph her hair color from pink to black. She rarely ever wore her hair black. It made her look too much like the rest of her family; it made her feel depressed. But somehow, standing in the middle of that quiet little town where the sound of the chilling wind could be heard, black hair seemed appropriate.<p>

Frank Bryce's home was a small cottage on the edge of a larger, gloomier reservation. The little cottage sat at the foot of a large hill while at the top of the hill was a tall, looming dark mansion, fenced off midway through the dead field of grass.

When she walked into the tiny cottage, Tonks suddenly felt a chill creep down her spine. Her wand was out immediately, active and ready while she wandlessly created a vivid, neon pink flame to light up her way. She held the flame in her free hand, taking careful steps into the house.

The little cottage was crammed and cluttered with all sorts of things—muggle things. Tonks even began to feel slightly claustrophobic. It had a low ceiling and each wall was stacked high with boxes, shelves, books, tools, pots and pans and many more. She was careful in looking around, hoping not to miss anything vital that might give her any clue to where the muggle man could have gone off to. With all the care and coordination that Nymphadora Tonks could ever muster, she swept through his house quietly, searching for clues. Tonks then casted a strong detection charm over the house to see if any magic had been used inside the walls.

A sort of knowing feeling slipped into her mind, a result of the charm. She'd picked up traces of magic used a little while ago. They were simple cleaning charms, as if whoever was there had wanted to clean up their tracks. It couldn't have been Bryce. He was a muggle after all and except for a select few, muggles were completely unaware of magic.

Curious, Tonks continued to look around, wondering where Bryce might be or who could have possibly abducted a seventy-six-year-old man, and for what reasons. She searched the house a second time over but found nothing peculiar. Tonks then wandered into the kitchen and looked around, hungry for a lead of any kind to guide her.

That's odd, she thought. Tonks spotted the lonely tea kettle still sitting on the stove. It was drained of its water and Tonks could identify traces of the cleaning charm used on it, as if to remove the burnt spots. Beside the stove sat a mug with dried tea leaves still inside. Looking around, there seemed to be no damage or force involved. Her auror mind still was able to come up with too many scenarios. Bryce could have just left and been abducted somewhere outside of his house, or someone could have drugged him previously without his knowledge. That would explain why there appeared to be no signs of struggle or conflict anywhere in the house.

After a while of looking through the house for the third time over, Tonks finally decided to ask around since the small cottage wasn't of anymore help to her. She walked outside into the quiet town. Few people were on the streets. Each house looked quiet and depressing in its own way. Her mind was debating where to start asking. Dark green emeralds soon fell on the dingy little pub that seemed to be the center of town. Perhaps she should start there.

The gloomy town's pub was called _The Hanged Man_. It really was the center of town as when she walked inside, she was sure that ninety-percent of the town's population was gathered there. All of the muggles were lazily having drinks—downing those muggle beers and whiskey Tonks found quite tasty all thanks to Alexis.

"Excuse me," said Tonks to the owner of the bar who stood behind the counter.

"Hello miss." His smile was too pleasant for the dreary town. "What would you like?"

"Um, a Captain Morgan's beer please," she replied. When he gave her the opened beer bottle, Tonks took a large sip of it. Then she got straight to the point. "Excuse me. Do you happen to know of Mr. Bryce who lives in that cottage on the edge of town?"

"Oh Frank you say?" the landlord replied. "Yes, I know him. A funny fellow he is. And I don't mean funny as in humorous funny. The war changed him quite a bit."

"War? What war?" Tonks asked with a puzzled look.

"The Second World War of course," he replied. "Frank was a soldier who served in that war. He left to fight when he was around his early twenties I reckon. When he returned, he changed completely. He had even more of a terrible temper and less and less sociable. Just sort of retreated to his own little world he did."

Tonks made a mental note to write this all down later. "So Mr. Bryce didn't associate with anyone here?"

"Not that I know of. Why don't you ask Dot? She'd known him since he was a kid."

An elderly woman having to be in her mid or late seventies sat down beside Tonks and smiled kindly. "You're asking about Frank?"

"Uh yes," said Tonks. "I'm a reporter doing an article for this town and the house up on the top of the hill. Um, do you happen to know anything about Bryce or that house?"

"Child, I can tell you anything you need to know. That house up there on the hill is the Riddle Mansion. It belonged to the Riddle family, a rather gloomy lot if you ask me." Tonks was listening carefully, mentally writing everything down as she hungrily searched for more leads to the seemingly simple case. "When I was younger, I saw Frank around the village. He had a fierce temper that got even worse—if that was possible—ever since the war. He came back with a wounded leg and it'd been stiff up until now. After the war, he became a gardener for the Riddle house. Then one night, they all suddenly died, murdered, by someone close."

"Murdered?" asked Tonks. "You mean the entire family that lived in that house?"

Dot nodded. "S far as I'm concerned, he killed them, and I don't care what the police say. And if he had any decency, he'd leave, knowing as how we knows he did it."

"By 'he' you mean Frank Bryce?" Tonks was becoming more and more curious.

The old woman nodded. "Slaughtered them all…now child, why is it you want to know so much? You can't be a distant relative of the Riddles are you? You dress like their boy, Tom."

Tonks became self-conscious of her auror robes worn in a usual fashion witches and wizards would wear them. "No, I'm not related to them," she replied calmly. Tonks still didn't know who the Riddles were but she could only guess they were magical folks, like her. "Frank Bryce had gone missing. That's why I've been having err, problems with my article."

"Gone missing you say? No surprise we haven't even noticed. He barely comes out of his house anymore after saying nonsense about the Riddle house."

"What kind of nonsense?" asked Tonks.

"Said that the Riddle's little boy Tom was the one who murdered the family," the woman scoffed. "Frank's a sick man. If I were you, I wouldn't go looking for someone so evil."

She watched as the woman took her drink from the owner and walked away, parting with her with a simple nod. Tonks sat back to think, replaying everything the woman named Dot had just told her, all while downing the Captain Morgan beer she'd ordered. One thing in particular stood out to her and it had been the one thing that'd sent chills down her spine. Bryce seemed to have some relations to the Riddle family—and something about that name was foreboding.

Once done with her drink, Tonks got up and was about to leave. She turned and headed for the door, but was stopped when her eyes spotted the hard-to-miss sight of her old mentor. Mad-Eye Moody walked stiffly into the pub, his mechanical eye looking a bit odd and unfitting while he seemed to be uncomfortable in his own skin. Tonks looked at him with ambiguity and for the first time, wondered what was wrong with the battle-worn ex-auror.

"Mad-Eye," she called and he spotted her immediately.

His human eye found her first and then his electric blue magical eye turned to her. That was odd. Tonks knew Mad-Eye Moody. She was one of the very few people who knew the normal, paranoid but fatherly man beneath the auror mask—the man who laughed and cried and cared and worried. And Tonks knew him so well, something about him that day made her feel ambiguous of him. The fact that he was uncomfortable under his own skin was odd, and also how he seemed to be having trouble utilizing his own mechanical eye that had scared the daylights out of her on many occasions.

"Nymphadora," he grumbled in his normal, raspy low voice.

"Don't bloody call me Nymphadora!" She drew a breath. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a retired man get a simple drink without being questioned?" he replied with a rough laugh that Tonks recognized to be his—except she rarely saw it.

She smiled and looked at her mentor, ambiguity disappearing. "No," she scoffed. "You're Mad-Eye Moody. You're supposed to be paranoid as hell. Where's your flask?" she joked.

Moody reached into his coat pocket and took out the familiar flask he always carried around with him. "What do you think I fill my flask with? Air?"

"Can't say I haven't considered that," she shrugged, snickering at a joke she and Silvia shared in secrecy.

He grunted. That grunt sounded normal. Mad-Eye always grunted. "Don't you have somewhere to be and someone to annoy?"

"Possibly," said Tonks. "Reckon Lexi and Padfoot wouldn't mind if I'm a little late. But I better get going anyways. Good to see you're doing well in retirement Mad-Eye," she said and walked off, pushing all feelings of ambiguity away, even though it was odd enough running into him at _The Hanged Man_ pub. The world can't be that small. And the fact that Moody seemed uncomfortable under his own skin still bothered her.

* * *

><p>London was a lot brighter than Little Hangleton had been. Tonks was glad to be back in the more familiar and warmer environment of London as compared to the unfamiliar drear of Little Hangleton. She could see the blue clouds in the summer sky and thought that the weather was really an unpredictable thing as it had been raining seemingly non-stop just yesterday.<p>

The blue clouds suddenly began to rain. The weather really was as unpredictable as life itself, Tonks thought. She held her hands over her head while searching for something to stand under as cover. Tonks made it under the canopy of a coffee shop and she stood there waiting. She was bouncing on her feet, eager for the rain to stop as she wanted to get home.

After a few seconds, her dark green eyes fell upon the figure of a man, making haste for the canopy where she stood. His robes were less shabby in the sunlight and rain while his hair that used to be flecked with grey was a lively shade of light brown. Tonks' eyes wandered and met with his gentle blue eyes. He gave her a subtle smile as he got under the canopy with her, ducking from the rain.

"Wotcher Remus," she said. A smile couldn't help but appear on her beaming face.

"Hello Nymphadora," he smiled somewhat shyly but still genuine nonetheless.

She recognized that look in his eyes the moment it appeared. Remus was thoughtful. Something was going through that brilliant mind of his, something important. He looked like he'd been obsessing over the thought of something for a while. Tonks wondered what exactly he was thinking. For a fleeting second, she wondered if he was thinking about her. Unknowingly, her eyes had lingered on his for longer than she expected and Remus began to blush. Unlike her, he couldn't simply morph away his blush. He licked his lips and rubbed the back of his neck while shifting to stare at the ground.

The silence grew longer and the rain continued to fall. For a while, Tonks simply stood there, content with Remus' presence as she watched the peaceful falling rain. The rain cascaded down to the ground and drummed a soft rhythm while the sun made each raindrop glow like diamonds. There was a comforting feeling during that moment in time. Neither Tonks nor Remus could determine whether the comfort came from the glittering rain or the presence of the other.

"Nymphadora," said Remus.

"Yes Remus?" she replied in a soft, soft voice with a slight melody to her tune.

"Never mind," he said softly.

"No, say what you wanted to say," Tonks replied instantly.

"It's not important," he replied.

"If it'd been bothering you, then yes, it's important. What is it?"

For what felt like a very long time, Remus simply looked at her with a longing gaze, getting lost in her emerald green eyes like she had to his gentle blue. They stood there together under the canopy of a small coffee shop near Tonks' apartment, standing in silence as the rain fell to a rhythm beside them.

Listening to the rhythm of the rain, Tonks couldn't help but feel a longing in her heart for Remus to just ignore the world and allow whatever was between them to rage on naturally—before it burned them both.

"I-I don't know why this is happening," said Remus suddenly, breaking the silence and melding his voice in with the soft rhythm of the rain going pitter patter, pitter patter. "Nymphadora, I'm not worthy of you." He began and Tonks sighed, having memorized their endless argument. "I'm a werewolf and you're an auror." His voice was soft and breaking as if even Remus wasn't sure of the honest words coming out of his mouth. He was conveying his emotions to her. "I know, I know, Nymphadora…that we shouldn't be together. I'd only be a burden to you…"

"Remus, please don't start this argument again," Tonks sighed.

But Remus seemed to have not heard what she said and continued on with his speech, reaching the climatic part where his next words surprised Tonks immensely.

"But I can't turn from the fact that I want to be with you," he finished.

"What?" Tonks was dumbfounded.

"Sorry, sorry I shouldn't have," said Remus, shaking his head and turning from her.

Instantly, Tonks gripped his arm gently and turned him back around to face her. "No," she said. "Keep going." There was a pleading look in her eyes, imploring him to continue.

Remus licked his lips and looked at her with a gentle, loving gaze. "I can't take it anymore Nymphadora," he said weakly. "I don't know what to do. What I want to do is wrong—I can't bring myself to burden you and a burden is what I'd be if we…if we were together. But…I don't want to do what is right either, and what is right is for me to just leave you alone." Remus took a breath.

Tonks looked at him, slowly deciphering that puzzle that was his mind and slowly understanding his insanity. Remus was going mad because of her, and she wondered why he, someone who'd been through all that life had of sorrows, couldn't just take the easy way out.

"I don't know what to do," he said, torn between two choices.

"Remus, just do what you want to do. At least then, the worst that could happen is you ending up with the right regrets," she said in a soft voice, knowing that despite their close bond, love was still a huge gamble.

Looking at him, Tonks could see all the gears turning in his head. She didn't know whether to help him come to a decision by kissing him, or by letting him be. Tonks herself continued to stand there and wait with him, watching the rainfall grow heavier.

After a long time, she felt that this rainstorm would never end. Allowing herself to act on her heart's accord and wishing Remus would do the same Tonks suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him into the rain. Remus didn't pull away and instead followed her as they quickly ran through the rain together, heading back to Tonks' apartment. Broken sunlight cascaded through the stormy clouds and as they ran through the rain and the sun, Tonks wished for that moment to last forever.

* * *

><p>Outside, it was raining up a storm. Sirius' eyes were glued to the window, watching the rain fall and raindrops clinging onto the icy glass. He didn't feel alone during that rainstorm; he couldn't have with Silvia and Harry right beside him.<p>

Harry was playing a muggle video game with Sirius, winning the game repeatedly while Sirius had gone sentimental from the rain. Sirius' eyes would sometimes drift to steal a glance at Silvia. She was sitting beside them, her eyes glued onto a wordy set of papers, seeming perplexed by her work. Often she'd look up and remind Sirius to take a break from gaming and fill out the endless job applications she'd found for him instead.

From their kitchen window, Sirius caught sight of a tawny brown owl flying their way. The bird was still a distance away, but Sirius kept his eyes on it, wondering why the bird seemed to be flying in a lopsided motion. He worried as the rain seemed to affect the bird's flight.

"Hey, isn't that the Weasley's owl, Errol?" Sirius asked, tapping Silvia and Harry.

"Yes, my god," Harry replied. He suddenly dropped his controller and ran towards the window, swinging it open and ready for the bird. "If he hits the window and die, I don't know what to say to Ron," Harry said.

Errol swooped in through the open window and Harry closed it immediately. The brown bird, wet and sticky with rain, crashed to a landing upon their kitchen counter, sending a stack of Tonks' magazines and Alexis' papers flying in the air along with rain water everywhere.

"Oh Lexi's not going to like that," Sirius said, knowing his cousin's preference for neatness. He hoped the girl sitting in her room right then wouldn't come out any time soon, at least not until he had time to clean up the mess.

"He's carrying a letter for you Harry," Silvia said, handing the brown envelope to Harry and helping the bird get up to his feet.

Sirius felt like he knew what the letter was about. Arthur and Molly had spoken to him about it on the night of Harry's birthday party. Standing to the side, Sirius watched with a smirk upon his face as Harry read the letter and slowly his face broke out in mirthful hysteria.

"Wow!" Harry exclaimed. "Sirius! The Weasleys are inviting us to go to the World Cup with them! Can we go? Please?"

Sirius let out a laugh and patted Harry's back. "Of course we're going Harry, I wouldn't miss it for anything," he smiled.

"You knew?"

"Yes, we all knew. Tonks, Silvia, Remus, Lexi, me, we're all kind of waiting for the tickets to arrive and have it be a surprise to you, knowing you wouldn't turn away from Quidditch. So I'm guessing Arthur has the tickets now."

"You'll love the World Cup this year, Harry," Silvia smiled, seeming less troubled now that her mind was away from her work. "It's brilliant. You should see the new stadium built."

"Are you going too?" Sirius asked her, excited and wanting to see her there.

"I can't," she replied. "So many aurors are going. I promised a friend I'd cover for her that day."

"Bugger," Sirius said. "Well at least I'll have my godson with me," he grinned.

Once Errol had recovered from his flight, they finally sent the bird off again on his journey back home, hoping he doesn't crash somewhere and hurt himself. Harry returned to his video game, having quickly grown addicted to the activity ever since the beginning of his summer with Sirius. Silvia had gotten back to her work and as she read on, her expression returned to a troubled look. It made Sirius wonder how she could draw such a fine line between work and personal matters and wondered if she'd ever cross that line for any reason.

Eventually, it came time for Sirius to take a break from video games and continue filling out his job applications. Silvia had always been punctual with time and turned to him right on the exact minute.

"Padfoot," she called softly to remind him.

"I know," Sirius sighed. "Harry, take a break kid. Go annoy Lexi and tell her about the World Cup or something," Sirius smiled.

As Harry headed down the hall into Lexi's room behind the closed wooden door, Sirius turned from the addictive game on the muggle box to a set of papers Silvia had just handed to him. He flipped through the bulky packet and made a face.

"Why do I have to keep trying?" he asked. "I'm never going to get a job."

"Don't give up so easily," Silvia said and patted his shoulder as she returned to her work.

"What's that you got there? It seems to trouble you when you're not distracted by us."

"It's this new case Kingsley assigned to me and Tonks," she replied. "I'm waiting for her to get home to discuss it with her and she's not going to like what I've found out."

"What did you find out? Come on. Tell me first, I'm dying of boredom."

"I want to wait until Tonks gets back. I'll tell everyone as a whole, but perhaps it's best if Harry doesn't hear any of this."

"Gotcha," Sirius nodded. "We just won't call for Lexi then. She can keep Harry company while we discuss whatever this is."

The door to his apartment suddenly clicked seven times, signaling the seven layers of protection charms they'd placed upon it being unlocked. Sirius and Silvia both looked up to see Remus and Tonks come in, both looking equally troubled while rain was dripping off of their shoulders. They'd gone through the rainstorm no doubt and they came back looking like they both had gone for a swim.

Remus used a quick drying charm on Tonks and himself before taking any more steps into the flat. The burgundy red door closed behind them and once Tonks was inside, Sirius could see how anxious Silvia was about sharing her information as the beautiful Spanish woman leapt to her feet immediately.

"Tonks," she called, catching Tonks' attention and bringing her back from whatever distraction was on her mind. "I went to the archives and got out all the information we had about Frank Bryce and Little Hangleton."

Sirius and Remus stiffened at the mentioning of the familiar town.

"Why are you two suddenly investigating Little Hangleton?" Sirius asked as they all took a seat around the living room furniture.

"Our case deals with the disappearance of a muggle man in Little Hangleton, Padfoot," Tonks told him. She then shifted her attention back to Silvia, wondering what her partner had found out that made her seem so mysterious.

"You're probably still wondering why this is ranked as a Class A mission," Silvia said, speaking directly to Tonks. Remus and Sirius shifted in their seat, listening aptly and made curious by Tonks and Silvia. "It's because Frank Bryce, by tenuous connections, had once been in direct contact with Voldemort himself…"

* * *

><p>Responses:<p>

Hannah: Thank you! I hope you like this update xD

RemusTonksFan: Thank you so much! And I have something planned regarding Sirius' role in Remus and Tonks' relationship, or rather how Remus influences Sirius now...ah I don't want to spoil it. I hope you like this chapter though!

TheMoonIsLowTonight - funkyfish: thank you, I always imagine in my mind that'd be how Remus and Tonks interacts with each other because Remus is so shy and Tonks is still young so she can be shy when she's in love with him. I hope you like this update

Naina15: thank you so much! goofy story of mine, i have a weird habit of sleep writing when i'm really tired so I accidentally fell asleep part way through the SAT and on my answer sheet I wrote down plans for this story since it'd been on my mind a lot lately and I looked at it and started laughing *sorry that was random haha, but thanks so much and i hope you like this update xD

Jocasta Silver: thank you! I feel like Charlie and Tonks had a strong past together and decided I should include him and give him a slight role to play in Remus and Tonks' relationship. I hope you like the story xD


	5. The Only Exception

**Author's Note:**

I hope things aren't too confusing. If you have any complaints or constructive criticism, I'd love to know. Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and supporting! Enjoy! xD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 05 – The Only Exception<strong>

_~I could figure the whole world out…you are the only exception._

"You're bloody joking!" said Tonks.

Her twinkling dark eyes had lit up with surprise when Silvia revealed to her that Frank Bryce had connections to Voldemort. Tonks wondered what a muggle old man could have related to Voldemort, the most evil wizard of all time—the man who had threatened their world and broken apart their family.

Silvia shook her head sadly as she looked around the room to see Sirius, Remus, and Tonks' bewildered expressions. "It says here," she began, showing them an old document she'd found in the auror archives. "Franklin Bryce works as the caretaker to the Riddle Mansion…"

"That's the mansion I saw when I went there to investigate today," Tonks added.

"Did you try to go inside the mansion?" Silvia asked.

As the two aurors spoke, Sirius and Remus continued to shift their attention back and forth between the two, wondering how they'd managed to get themselves in a case involving Voldemort's past and origins.

"No. I only got to look around Bryce's home and asked around the town about him."

"What did you find out?" Silvia asked.

"Well I concluded that Bryce could have been abducted since there were no signs of struggle anywhere. He's not a very social man and none of the townspeople seem to like him, but they wouldn't abduct him as they didn't even know about his disappearance," Tonks explained to the three of them. "When I asked the townspeople about Bryce's past, a woman named Dot told me he'd once been suspected of murdering the entire Riddle family. Dot seems to still think he'd murdered them but it's impossible—the Riddles were wizards, weren't they? A bartender said I dressed like their son, Tom, so they'd have to be wizards."

Silvia, Sirius, and Remus' expression all grew darker as Tonks continued to mention the Riddle name. It appears that out of the four of them, Tonks was the only one who knew nothing about the Riddle's history.

Remus bit his lips while Sirius sat back in the sofa, summoning a bottle of whiskey over.

"Tonks," Silvia began. She sighed and flipped through the pages of the thick folder she had in her hands, about to tell them information that would bring clarity and awe to their minds. "The Riddle family was a very wealthy muggle family. They _weren't_ wizards. Tom Riddle Senior, a handsome man from that family married a woman named Merope Gaunt under the influence of a love potion. When he was freed from her bewitchment, he abandoned her and their unborn son. She later died in labor at an orphanage, leaving the child alone…"

"I don't get it," said Tonks. "So what's so bad about…" she slowly began talking upon seeing the expression of dread and gloom on everyone's faces. Even Remus' expression darkened significantly as their conversation continued. Tonks came to realize that she needed to pay more attention to the things happening around her. Everyone was informed but her.

"I know who Merope Gaunt is," said Sirius. "Many people from my stupid pureblood-obsessed family spoke about the Gaunts a long time ago." He shifted to the edge of his seat and looked to Tonks. Merope Gaunt and the entire Gaunt family were a bunch of pureblooded witches and wizards, direct descendants from Salazar Slytherin himself."

Tonks' twinkling green eyes widened in disbelief.

"That woman fell in love with Tom Riddle Senior and gave birth to a son at the orphanage. That son…Tom Marvolo Riddle…later became Voldemort…"

"And though Voldemort had never lived with the Riddle family," said Silvia, continuing to read off of her files. "He was the one who murdered the entire Riddle family. Bryce, the man we are looking for, was the only witness to Voldemort's massacre. The Wizarding world believes that Voldemort had killed the Riddles, but the muggle world believes it was Bryce."

"So basically," said Remus as he ran a hand through his hair. "Frank Bryce, this man you are investigating, had once been in direct contact with Voldemort and witnessed a massacre."

Tonks could only stare at them in an open state of bewilderment.

"Can you two tell me why you are investigating him?" Sirius asked in a weary sigh while opening a bottle of Alexis' firewhiskey.

"We were given this case today," said Tonks. "Initially it was nothing but a simple missing person case. But then…"

"It turns out to be related to all this," Silvia finished. "No wonder it was marked as a Class A mission. There's more to this that even Kingsley doesn't know about."

"News of Voldemort hadn't surfaced for years," said Remus. "Why this and now?"

"Do you think we should try and get a look in that mansion?" Tonks asked Silvia.

"Wouldn't the Ministry know though?" Remus asked suddenly. "That you are investigating a witness to Voldemort's crime? Maybe's there's more to his disappearance. They can't just assign this to the two of you."

"They probably _do_ know," Silvia replied. "But they think that since Voldemort is gone and news of him hadn't surfaced in years, this is nothing more than a missing person case."

"Even if it's an extremely difficult case, two aurors are the most they'll put on a case under normal circumstances," Tonks added. "That's how the Ministry works."

"So what are you two planning to do now?" Remus wondered.

Silvia spoke. "We don't know _exactly_ how or why Bryce had been abducted…"

"Since the only other place he'd been associated with is the Riddle Mansion, being its caretaker, I think we should look there," said Tonks.

"Do you think there will be any dangers, anything to worry about?" Remus continued to ask, his worry becoming evidence. He'd never voiced his concerns, but whenever anything involved Voldemort—even by tenuous connections—Remus couldn't help but worry.

"I don't think so," Tonks assured him. "Voldemort is gone, Remus."

"Sirius?" Remus sighed. He turned to his friend for input for no one else understood Remus' fears about Voldemort better than Sirius Black.

Sirius had been quiet for a long time. He sat beside Silvia, listening to the conversation while taken small, quiet sips from the bottle of firewhiskey. When Remus called to him, Sirius sighed and set the bottle down on the glass end table as he shifted in his seat.

"Silv, Tonks, you two weren't actively involved in the events of the war when Voldemort came into power so you wouldn't understand. It's worrying that there had been no news of him for years and now suddenly you're involved in this case, even if it's related to him only by tenuous connections. Also, in case you've forgotten, there have been many odd occurrences going on, ever since Harry came over. I fear that they're all connected somehow, but that's my paranoia speaking." Sirius sighed. "We don't know what's going on right now. I think the best thing to do is to go on with your investigation like you normally would and wait until more information becomes present to us."

"So what we need to do now is get a search warrant for the Riddle Mansion," said Tonks.

"We can speak to Scrimgeour about that tomorrow at work," Silvia replied.

"And hopefully we'll get more information to clear everything up about Bryce's disappearance and possibly about all these strange things happening," Tonks nodded.

"It _may_ just be our paranoia," said Sirius.

"Or it may be something more," Remus added, looking at them with grim worry.

* * *

><p>When Tonks got to work the next morning, speaking with Rufus Scrimgeour became her top priority. She wanted to get what seemed to be a simple case done, but she also wanted to find out more about Voldemort through the Riddle Mansion. It'd bothered her with all the strange things happening lately around Harry—his constant nightmares about Voldemort, and the dark harbingers that surface—and Tonks wanted to find out why they were happening.<p>

She met with Silvia at the end of the elegant long hallway beside the farm of cubicles that made up the auror office. Silvia held a thick folder in her hands, information they'd gathered about the case. She then pulled out a small slip of parchment, the typical form for a search warrant. Both aurors approached Scrimgeour's office just as Kingsley Shacklebolt walked out.

The tall, broad-shouldered black wizard dressed in plum colored robes greeted them with a small smile. He looked troubled and hung his head low. Tonks and Silvia wondered what was troubling him. When they entered Scrimgeour's office, they felt that Kingsley must've discussed something potentially problematic with Scrimgeour as he too wore a long face.

"Silvia, Miss Tonks," Scrimgeour greeted. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Rufus Scrimgeour was an authoritative man looking stern and uptight. To Tonks, he resembled an old lion with his tawny hair and bushy brows. His keen, yellowish eyes gazed at her skeptically, like always.

"Yes sir," Silvia spoke in a cordial tone. "For our case involving the disappearance of Frank Bryce, we need you to sign off for this search warrant for the Riddle Mansion."

Tonks had noticed that Scrimgeour visibly tensed at the mentioning of the Riddle Mansion. His looks got darker and even more stern—if that was even possible. Tonks wondered if he could be harboring the same kind of worry as Remus and Sirius because of the tenuous connections to Voldemort.

"The Riddle Mansion you say?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Tonks replied that time.

"I am afraid I cannot allow access to the house to anyone Miss Tonks, Silvia," Scrimgeour replied. "I am sorry for the inconvenience but you will have to continue you investigation without utilizing that house."

"But why, sir?" Tonks asked immediately. "We understand why you are so worried about the mansion but…"

"There are no exceptions Miss Tonks," Scrimgeour replied in an icy tone.

"But sir," Silvia implored. "Bryce was the caretaker to that mansion and it's a key location in his disappearance. Why assign us this case if you won't allow us to investigate it thoroughly?" she asked, reminding Tonks of Mad-Eye Moody's usual preference and need to investigate every little thing about his cases.

"I understand Silvia," he said, his tone warmer to her than to Tonks. "But there are absolutely no exceptions. If the two of you knew the history of that house, surely you'd understand that we cannot unseal the protection around it and allow you inside."

"It's just a simple case sir," said Tonks.

"And simple cases can be dealt with by different, simple methods," he replied.

"Scrimgeour," Tonks huffed.

Silvia suddenly placed her hand on Tonks' shoulder, pulling her back before she ended up saying something disrespectful to the Head of the Auror Department in her frustration. Tonks sighed and stood back, glaring at Scrimgeour and wondering why he'd assign them such a case but not let them fully investigate it.

"Alright sir," Silvia sighed. "We'll find other ways to find Bryce. We'll be going then."

"Hey!" said Tonks as Silvia began pulling her out of the room.

Tonks struggled slightly and made it difficult for Silvia to pull her out of the room. She'd wanted to stay in there and press on until Scrimgeour agreed, but it appears Silvia thought otherwise. Once they were out of Scrimgeour's office and a good distance down the elegant hallway, Tonks turned around to face Silvia with a bemused look in her eyes.

"Why'd you pull me out? We could have reasoned with him until he agrees."

"He's Rufus Scrimgeour, Tonks," Silvia replied. "He won't just go back on his words because we're annoying him. We have to find some other method to get into that mansion."

"What do you suggest we do then? We _have_ to get into that mansion."

"Search warrants are only the formalities. What we really need is someone who can open the protection barrier the Ministry placed on the mansion," said Silvia, speaking of the powerful invisible barrier aurors and the Ministry often used to keep people out of a restricted area.

"We can get Marrick to help then," said Tonks. "He specializes in those kinds of things and if he needs help, three aurors surely can lift a protection barrier."

"Good idea, come on then," Silvia nodded and began heading for Marrick's work cubicle situated right beside hers. Tonks was following closely behind, hoping Marrick would help them.

With haste in their walk, Silvia and Tonks quickly arrived at Marrick's cubicle. They were about to knock but Tonks had spotted her cousin in there and so walked in, unannounced.

Alexis was situated on Marrick's desk as he sat in his chair, seeming distracted from his report as he smiled to her. Tonks walked in and rolled her eyes at her cousin while Silvia smiled slightly through her troubled expression and shook her head at them. Alexis turned around, silky black hair swaying side to side as she smirked to Silvia and Tonks.

"Merlin's beard Lexi, you lovebirds make me sick," said Tonks, rolling her eyes.

"Don't make me start talking about you and your little romance," Alexis warned in a teasing voice as she hopped off Marrick's desk and stood beside him.

"Um, sorry, is something wrong, Silvia? Tonks?" Marrick asked, noticing the two aurors in his cubicle wearing troubled expressions.

"Marrick, we need your help with something," said Silvia in a cordial voice laced with a beautiful Spanish accent. "Can you undo the barrier at the Riddle Mansion for us?"

Tonks watched as the look of curiosity appeared in her cousin's dark brown almost black eyes. "Riddle?" Tonks heard Alexis mumble quietly to herself.

Marrick straightened himself in his seat. "The Riddle Mansion?" he asked, seeming bewildered. "Why do you need it open?"

"It's for our case," said Tonks quickly, tired of people asking her and Silvia the same question. "We're looking for Frank Bryce and he was the caretaker for the Riddle Mansion."

"Surely you and Silvia both know _why_ the Riddle Mansion was sealed off in the first place?" Marrick asked.

Tonks nodded as she watched Alexis stroke her cheekbone, her eyes growing thoughtful. She knew that if Marrick had known about the Riddle Mansion and Voldemort, then Alexis would know too. Watching her, Tonks wondered what her cousin was thinking.

Marrick sighed. "Do you two have a search warrant?"

"No," Silvia said. "We went to Scrimgeour but he wouldn't grant us one."

"I'm afraid I can't help you," Marrick replied. "Without a proper search warrant, the barrier won't open to anyone."

"But we're aurors, Marrick," said Tonks in a hushed voice. "The three of us, Lexi too if you want to help, can undo the protection barrier."

"It's not illegal, since we are aurors but it's not something we should be doing."

Silvia sighed. "Marrick, you said it yourself it's not illegal but…"

"Without a search warrant it's impossible," Marrick interrupted. "Even if all of us worked together, it'd be very difficult to open. Moody set the protection barrier himself."

"Mad-Eye?" Tonks asked, surprised.

"Yes, Mad-Eye," Marrick told her. "I specialize in these things but this protection barrier had been made a long, long time ago. When I looked it up as a part of my work, I found that it was Moody who'd set up the barrier. You know how great an auror he is. It's nigh impossible for us to undo something he'd set up with the intention of never opening it again."

"Bugger. Bugger it all," Tonks cursed. "We don't have any other leads on Bryce."

"We could always speak with Mad-Eye about it," Silvia suggested.

Marrick sighed, showing his disagreement towards them acting without proper permission from their work superiors. Alexis on the other hand, suddenly jumped up clapping her hands together as she reached a sudden realization.

"I think I can help you two," she said.

"Really?" Silvia asked, hopeful.

"I'd think so," Alexis nodded. "It's just a protection barrier, right?"

"Alexis," Marrick sighed.

"What? There's nothing wrong with trying to be helpful," she said to him.

"I know what you're thinking. Love, don't use something from Level Nine to help them. You know it's against the rules and you could get in trouble with your work," he reminded her.

"As long as they don't tell and you don't tell, what trouble could befall me?" Alexis asked, holding Marrick's face as she spoke in a convincing voice.

"Come on love, stop being so rebellious. You could get in real trouble if you keep doing this," Marrick sighed, trying to talk her out of doing whatever it was she planned to do.

Tonks and Silvia watched the couple with slight confusion and annoyance. They knew Marrick and Alexis too well and worried that their little disagreement would lead into an argument. It was always like that with Alexis and Marrick.

"I'm not being rebellious I'm just trying to be helpful. You said it yourself it's not illegal. It's just something we shouldn't do, not the right thing to do. But I never do the right thing anyways," Alexis continued trying to persuade him.

"Stop playing with my words," he said, his tone growing exasperated.

"Fine then. I won't play with your words," Alexis replied. "But I'm still helping Tonks and Silvia out."

She walked out of Marrick's cubicle, beckoning Tonks and Silvia to follow. Silvia and Tonks left with apologetic looks toward Marrick, knowing that it absolutely annoys him whenever Alexis does something she's not supposed to. However, they also wanted to quell their curiosity and look inside that house for information about Bryce, and possible explanations as to why so many strange things were happening around Harry—and in turn them—lately.

"Sorry Lexi," said Tonks. "You know you shouldn't help us if it annoys Marrick."

"He can follow the rules by himself," Alexis sighed, brushing it off. "What I want to know is how you, you two of all the aurors in the auror department, ended up with a case like this. First Harry gets nightmares about Voldemort. Then weird, unexplainable things happen around him and in turn, us. And now, after years of no word, something relating to Voldemort suddenly surface. Tell me that's not weird."

Tonks nodded. "Leave it to Lexi to figure everything out in two minutes," she said.

"You knew the only way we'd find anything out is to look in that mansion," Silvia said.

"Exactly," Alexis said as the three women headed into the empty lift together.

* * *

><p>Little Hangleton had been no different from Tonks' initial impression of it—a quiet town with grey skies and an eerie presence. She walked with Alexis and Silvia up the dirt path from Frank Bryce's small cottage onto the mansion on the Riddle reservation. The path was no different from the ones Tonks saw in the graveyard nearby. Tall shadows loomed over them from the hedges that lined the path. There was a feeling of dread and despair that had mysteriously latched onto them, as if it was the shadows' doing. The air became noticeably colder as they came closer and closer to the seemingly abandoned mansion.<p>

The Riddle mansion was large and grand. No doubt it must've been an elegant home when it was still in use. But now in their eyes, it was an ancient looking building with ivy climbing the white stoned walls. There was a dilapidated feel to it, but it wasn't homely and comforting like most worn out old things they've been used to encountering. There was an eerie presence to this mansion. It seemed to echo with silence where it stood. The windows were foggy and dark. The air sent chills and shivers down their spine. It wasn't a lie to say that the Riddle Mansion was gloomier than the Shrieking Shack.

The three women stopped a few feet away from the wooden door at the end of the dirt path. Another shiver crept down Tonks' spine while she and a quiet Silvia looked over to Alexis who seemed unfazed by the iciness. I guess Lexi's used to this since she spends most of her time in the equally gloomy Department of Mysteries, Tonks thought.

There was a crystalline barrier in their way. The barrier wouldn't be visible to muggles, and for magical folks, unless they were a few feet away from it, it too would be invisible to them. Tonks knew it was a strong protection barrier—a work of a skilled auror.

Alexis stepped up and pressed on the solid glass barrier. "Silv, Tonks, can you two try using the charm to lift this first?" she asked.

"Sure," said Tonks as Alexis walked back to stand behind her and Silvia.

Both Silvia and Tonks held their wands up, pointing the tip at the crystalline barrier. They muttered an incoherent charm under their breath, and watched as a trail of flaming orange light left each of their wand tips. The light collided against the barrier and spread quickly across its surface, but nothing else seemed to happen.

The raven-haired Unspeakable went up and pressed on the barrier again. "It didn't work. Guess it's impossible to undo Moody's spell," she said.

"I thought you said you could help us," said Tonks.

She then watched as Alexis reached inside her pocket, searched around a little bit, and pulled out a small silver necklace they all recognized.

"The Ghost Necklace," said Silvia. "My god, you carry that around with you?"

"Never know when it will come in handy," Alexis shrugged and placed the expanded silver necklace around all three of them.

Together, they walked towards the barrier with full confidence that they could get in. The Ghost Necklace was an invention from the Department of Mysteries after all. If it could work inside a place as protected as Hogwarts Castle, surely it would work on an auror's barrier at this dingy old mansion. However, the three were surprised when they suddenly collided with the still very solid and very hard barrier.

Huffing as she took the necklace off, Tonks kicked the barrier once. "How come even the Ghost Necklace wouldn't work?"

"Curious," Silvia said and she and Alexis looked at the Ghost Necklace. "Is there something wrong with your necklace, Lexi?"

"No, it'd been working until now," Alexis said.

She then quickly put the necklace back over herself and in front of both Tonks and Silvia's eyes, disappeared. Tonks then felt a weird, icy feeling pass through her and suddenly found her cousin standing behind her, taking the silver necklace off her neck.

"See, it's working fine. There must be something else about this barrier."

"Are there any exceptions to your necklace?" Tonks asked.

"If it works at Hogwarts, surely there are no exceptions," Silvia said.

"Unless it's dark magic," said Alexis thoughtfully.

"Impossible," said Tonks immediately. "Marrick said Moody sealed this…impossible."

Tonks paused for a second to think as Alexis and Silvia continued to press at the solid barrier, like a glass wall that stood between them and the mansion. As Tonks continued to think, she then remembered something that only succeeded in raising her ambiguity at her old mentor.

"However, when I came here to look around yesterday, I ran into Mad-Eye…"

"What would Mad-Eye be doing around here?" Silvia asked.

"Something seems very fishy," Alexis said. "There's something here that people don't want us to know about, I'll bet you that. Now how do we get in?"

"It has to be Mad-Eye. He must have something he cannot say. That old codger always has some sort of ulterior motive," said Silvia, pressing on the barrier.

"It can't be related to dark magic though. The old bag would rather die than resort to dark magic," said Tonks with confidence.

"Curious," Alexis said in a soft voice as she swept her fingers across the glass barrier.

* * *

><p>Often, Remus would find himself over at Alexis' London Apartment to spend time with Sirius and Harry. They'd play Wizard's Chess together or the Marauders would team up and attempt to beat Harry at the odd muggle activity called playing video games. That day was no different and Remus was over, helping Harry play a game of chess against Sirius while discussing about the upcoming Quidditch World Cup together.<p>

"Knight to E-5," said Harry as his white knight grumbled with disapproval.

"Moony, I really don't want you to be alone on a full moon," said Sirius, manually moving his bishop much to the black chess piece's disapproval.

"It's really nothing to worry about," said Remus, watching the game between godfather and godson. "I've transformed alone before."

"But you have us now. How about I speak with Tonks in staying with you?"

"No don't," said Remus immediately. "That would be troubling her. She's really excited for the World Cup."

"Tonks told me she's not going," said Harry suddenly as he poked at his pawn to move.

"What?" Sirius looked up from the chessboard. "Why didn't she tell me anything?"

"Why isn't Tonks going?" Remus asked.

"She said she's too caught up over her current mission and wants to get it done as soon as possible," Harry replied. "I don't know what her mission is about though."

"That's a load of cobswallows," said Sirius. "I know their case is very…difficult, but Tonks wouldn't miss Quidditch for anything, anything except…" he turned to face Remus.

Remus licked his lips and rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't sure if Tonks was going to miss the Quidditch World Cup that year, but he hoped it would not be on his account. He'd already owed her way too much for a simple friend.

There was suddenly a light tap on their window. The three of them, Sirius, Harry, and Remus, looked over to see an unfamiliar owl flying just outside with a large book tied to its leg and a letter attached.

"That's Hermione's owl," Harry said, getting up.

He opened the window for the grey bird to fly in and took the book and letter from its leg. The bird then flew away, obviously not expecting a reply. Sirius watched as Harry rolled his eyes and read the letter while picking the book up.

"I'm going into Lexi's room," he told the two Marauders watching. "Hermione's asking me to return one of the million books she'd borrowed from Lexi for her."

"You think that's a good idea kiddo?" Sirius asked, fearing what sort of trouble Harry could get in going into an Unspeakable's room.

"Yes, I won't touch anything," said Harry as he walked down the hallway into Alexis' room behind the closed door. He always loved going into her room because of all the cool and unique magical items she had lying all over the place in there.

"Brave kid," said Sirius. "He's not afraid at all." He then turned back to Remus. "Now, back to what we were talking about."

"Nymphadora isn't missing the final match because of me. Even if she is, I wouldn't let her," Remus told his friend.

"And why not? If she's willing to mate, then you should just let her. She'd spent all the other moons with you. What difference is this one?"

"I'd be troubling her beyond belief. Sirius, I don't want Nymphadora to be burdened because of me and missing an event she's so excited about is a burden."

"You know she loves you mate," said Sirius.

"She shouldn't. She deserves so much better…she deserves blokes like Charlie…"

"You're jealous. You keep mentioning the kid," Sirius smirked.

"No, I'm not jealous," Remus clarified. "I'm just speaking the truth. She deserves so much better than me. I'm a ragged old werewolf for crying out loud Padfoot."

"She doesn't care if you're a ragged old werewolf. She loves _you_ mate. Just let her love you. You're burdening her by holding back the things going on between you two."

"Sirius, don't you want your cousin to be with someone nice, someone whole?"

"You _are_ nice and Moony, you're as whole as any bloke can get," said Sirius with a snicker. He regained himself quickly however and spoke with a serious tone. "And besides, I'd trust my baby cousin in your hands over any bloke out there."

"But I'm a werewolf."

"And she's an auror…a very strong and scary auror at that."

"Sirius, I could hurt her. You can see it in Andromeda's eyes. She's afraid of that too."

Sirius scoffed. "Andromeda's a mother, of course she worries about everything."

"I could _hurt_ Nymphadora, Sirius," Remus repeated.

"She could hurt _you_," Sirius replied. "Just accept the fact that you are no different from any other bloke out there and deserve love as much as anybody. If my cousin loves you, then let her love you. Stop pushing her away you stupid prat," Sirius spoke.

Remus was quiet, thinking. He thought about all his fears, but also about all his dreams, and he knew that to have his dreams come true he needed to free himself from his fears. Remus thought about Nymphadora Tonks and all that they could be together. He'd longed for her and lately, his feelings for her had grown to near obsession. He couldn't sleep and he couldn't go for a long time without thinking about her. It was love, was it not?

"Remus, just forget about all the bad and focus on the good for once. What you have with Tonks, you shouldn't hold it back. If it becomes more, let it. If it doesn't, at least you've given it a chance. Don't hold it back." Sirius sighed. "It'll only burn you."

For a while he was struck with silence. Very, very slowly, he began to accept that he and Tonks could be together. "I shouldn't run away anymore…should I?" Remus spoke softly.

"No, don't run away like a coward," Sirius replied. There was a smile on his face now as he knew that Remus had finally accepted his feelings for Tonks. "Don't be afraid to love my baby cousin and don't be afraid to let her love you," he told his friend.

Remus sat there and thought about what he should do. In his mind, he truly didn't know what to do afterwards…now that he's accepted that fact.

"Ouch!"

Sirius and Remus sprang up immediately when they heard Harry's cry followed by a series of loud thuds, seeming like falling books and papers, and the sound of something breaking. They both ran down the small hallway and into Alexis' room where they found Harry Potter sitting on the floor surrounded by many scattered books and papers.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, wide-eyed.

"I was trying to get that telescope up there on the shelf," said Harry, pointing to the telescope that was now broken and on the ground.

"Oh my god," said Sirius, shaking his head. "Come on Harry, we know nothing," he said quickly while pulling his godson out of the room. "Lexi's going to murder you."

They scrambled out of Alexis' room and closed her door, pretending like they knew nothing at all. As Sirius and Remus were following Harry out into the living room, they heard the sound of the locks and protection charms unclicking, all seven layers of them.

Harry and the two Marauders scrambled back to their place in the living room. The front door opened and in walked Tonks, Silvia, and Alexis, all looking puzzled. Without a word, Alexis made her way into her room. Sirius cringed, wondering how loud Alexis would scream. However, she didn't scream at all and after a short while, he settled that Alexis was too preoccupied with something to even bother with the mess.

Remus suddenly got up and began bidding his goodnight to everyone. He grew more nervous and anxious with Tonks' presence, and Sirius could only roll his eyes at his best friend.

"It's getting late," Remus said. "I best be going. Goodnight Sirius, Harry, Silvia. Goodnight Nymphadora," he said, heading for the door.

"Remus, hold on," said Tonks in a soft voice. She looked visibly tired, but with Remus there, Tonks pushed her weariness aside. She wanted to see him a little bit longer, and there was something she wanted to talk to him about. "Can I talk with you about something…private?"

Remus looked at her with a soft gaze. "Sure," said Remus softly.

"Can we perhaps, go for a walk?" Tonks asked.

For a fleeting second, Remus was speechless. "O-of course," he replied.

He turned and continued heading out the door, that time walking slowly with Tonks following behind him. As Remus left, he continued to think about what Sirius had said to him and about his feelings for Nymphadora Tonks. Perhaps it was the time Remus confronted his feelings for her. That was the thought going through his mind.

Once the front door closed, Sirius let Harry play his muggle video games on the television set as he made his way over to Silvia in the kitchen. In the kitchen, Silvia sat on the wooden stool waiting for him, flipping through papers of her reports as he came over.

"Alright, I know why Tonksie is taking a walk with Remus, but what's wrong with Lexi?" Sirius asked, showing care for both his cousins.

"We tried getting a search warrant from Scrimgeour today but he wouldn't give us one. So Lexi tried to help us get into the mansion using her Ghost Necklace but that didn't work either. She's convinced there are no exceptions to the Ghost Necklace besides dark magic. However, it was Moody who'd sealed the mansion and he wouldn't use dark magic. So it's puzzling her," Silvia explained slowly to him, her beautiful accent making Sirius' comprehension slightly slower than normal.

"What do you and Tonks plan to do now that you can't get into the mansion?"

"Lexi said she'll help us find a way inside. As for right now…I'm afraid there's nothing else we could do to answer all of our questions about the strange things happening."

"So put it on hold for now?"

"I guess," Silvia replied. "What else could we do? Besides, we're all so busy, putting this case on hold seems like the best idea. Your family is going to the Quidditch World Cup soon and you wouldn't want anything troubling your mind during that. As for me, I still have a ton of work to catch up on without this complicating mission."

Sirius listened to her aptly. For a while, he was quiet. "You said it was Mad-Eye Moody who sealed the mansion?" he suddenly asked.

Silvia nodded. "And Tonks said she saw him yesterday at Little Hangleton."

"Do you think he's involved with this case somehow?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I don't understand how or why this case is getting so windy and complicated. It's only supposed to be a missing person case, the easiest there is."

Before Sirius could reply, an odd ringing suddenly caught his ear. It wasn't the doorbell. He'd never heard this ringing noise before in his entire life. Sirius looked to Harry who seemed not to care. He then turned back to Silvia who appears to be looking around for something.

"What is that noise?" Sirius asked.

"I think that's your telephone ringing," said Silvia.

"A felly-what?" Sirius asked. He made a weird face of confusion.

"Sirius, you don't even know what a telephone is?" Harry asked from the living room, shaking his head as he continued playing his game.

Silvia too shook her head at Sirius as she walked around his kitchen. He watched as she picked up a plastic rectangular thing with a cord hanging off of it. Sirius had seen it in his kitchen before, but he never knew what it was. He then watched with amazement as she held it up to her ear and began to speak.

"Hello?" she said. Sirius continued to watch, utterly confused. "Yes, yes," she continued to speak. "I can relay the message to him if you'd like…oh…my god, that's brilliant! Yes…yes, yes…thank you sir!"

"What was that?" Sirius asked after Silvia hung up the telephone.

"The manager from the café you applied at called," Silvia said, a smile forming quickly on her beautiful red lips. "He said they want to hire you! You've been hired Sirius!"

A bright grin appeared on Sirius' face but he didn't jump up and down with excitement just yet. "Wait a second, how did you know from talking into that plastic felly-thing?"

Silvia rolled her eyes at Sirius.

Harry scrambled up to his feet, forgetting about his game at news of his godfather finally getting a job. "Sirius, you have a job!" Harry yelled.

Forgetting about his previous conversation with Silvia regarding the Riddle Mansion, Sirius was caught speechless by news of him having a job. He'd gone catatonic, staring at Silvia and his godson with wide grey eyes.

"I-I-I h-have a job…Bloody hell, I have a job!" Sirius yelled, hugging them both.

* * *

><p>They'd been walking for a while, and the entire time the walk had been silent. Remus walked very close to Tonks. Often times, their arms would brush against each other, but they never reacted or said anything—it'd long become a norm for them. As they walked, Remus wondered what Tonks wanted to talk to him about. He also thought about his feelings for her and what to do with them now.<p>

Remus and Tonks wandered into a park together. It was late, but there were still a few muggles in the park, couples like them, taking a stroll in the moonlight. Tonks would steal glances at Remus, and Remus would do the same. However, they didn't speak until they reached a stone bench in the park and sat down together.

He watched as Tonks turned to look up at the night sky. Her twinkling dark green eyes fell upon the changing moon overhead, partially hidden behind a thin puff of silver cloud.

"Remus, let me accompany you this full moon," she said suddenly. Tonks turned to look at him. "From before moonrise," she added. "To the morning after…I want to be there all night."

"Nymphadora, you'd be too tired to attend the Quidditch World Cup the day after."

"I'm not going," she said, being her straightforward old self. "I want to be with you."

"No. Dora, I know how much you love Quidditch. Don't miss this because of me."

"Remus, I don't care about the World Cup. I care about you though."

He looked at her with soft, grateful eyes as he licked his lips. "Dora, I could figure the whole world out…you are the only exception," he said.

"What do you mean Remus?" Twinkling emerald eyes gazed into his deep sapphire blue.

"You're an auror. You should be wary and doubtful of people like me—of werewolves. But yet you're always there to help me. You go out of your way to help me. Am I worth the trouble?" he asked, seriously wanting her to reconsider—change her mind and change _his_ mind before he went on ahead with…

"You're worth more than you could ever imagine," said Tonks. She suddenly laughed dryly. "Auror—I must be a pretty god awful auror then."

Remus shook his head immediately. "No, you're a wonderful auror. I'm really thankful to have you in my life. I just…" he paused, rethinking his words. He was hoping for her sake, that she'd change his mind. "Dora I don't want you to have to go through what I went through. I don't want others to look at you differently for associating with someone like me."

Tonks suddenly shifted her hair from pink to black, black to brown, brown to blue, and then back to pink. "People already look at me differently."

He went quiet, stealing glances at her in the silence.

"There's always a small chance that something could go wrong. Your mother knows that, so does everyone else. Wolfsbane potion doesn't exactly go right every time," he reminded her, remembering to last Christmas when his aid in transformation had nearly killed him.

"I don't care what others think, not mum, not dad, no one."

"I don't want you to get hurt. No one does. Why must you risk your safety just so you can be there for someone like me?"

"Because I care for you."

Remus went quiet. He slowly turned to her and met with her warm and homely gaze. In her eyes he found his solace. Inside her eyes, she held a comfort and love like no other. It made him feel wanted and if he dared to say it, loved.

"There are feelings between us Remus, genuine feelings. I know there is. You can hide it, push it away, or deny it was ever there, but I can't."

And finally, Remus was done. He was done hiding it, pushing it away, and denying it was ever there. Remus knew he had feelings for Tonks and those feelings only became stronger and stronger with time. He couldn't hold them back any longer. Sirius' trust in him made him truly consider allowing himself one gamble with Tonks and Tonks' persistence told him he'd be a fool to let a woman like her walk away. And so, Remus allowed himself to love her…

"One gamble, Remus, just one…"

Before Tonks could finish, Remus had taken her hand into his. He weaved their fingers together, holding onto her tiny hand with his large but gentle ones. They fitted together like the perfect missing pieces of a puzzle. And though it wasn't a kiss that silenced Tonks, Remus' hand in hers was enough to tell her he'd finally allowed them a chance.

"Let me be with you…through the moon and everything," said Tonks.

Remus smiled softly. "Thank you, Nymphadora," he said.

Tonks smiled. Soon her smile turned into a grin and so did Remus'. Sitting there with her hand in his, he felt a mixture of emotions. He was happy, he couldn't deny that. There was also a feeling of worry, mixed with a shot of ecstasy and adrenaline, and spinning in a sea of warmth. It was an odd feeling which made Remus' heart pump faster and faster. His hold on her hand tightened slightly as Remus assured himself he was still in reality.

With a grin on her face, Tonks had to check that she was not dreaming. She turned to look at him and saw a smile upon his face. Basking in the moment, Tonks turned back to look at the moon and at the same time, rested her head on his shoulder. When she felt his warm shoulder against her ear, Tonks knew she was not dreaming.

* * *

><p>It was the middle of the night. The air was still and quiet and everyone was asleep. Alexis sat in the middle of her messy room, tinkering with a silver necklace. She held it up close to her dark eyes. Sitting on top of the scattered books and papers, she continued working quietly.<p>

Suddenly, the door to her room opened. Standing in the doorway was a skinny boy with round glasses and unruly black hair. There were traces of cold sweat on his forehead and he looked terrified. He seemed no different from an infant child after a bad dream.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked, abandoning her work as she walked over to him and held him gently by his arms.

"Lexi, I'm scared," Harry said weakly as if he was shy to admit he was shaken.

"Another bad dream?" she asked him in a melodic voice that he rarely heard.

He nodded. "It's about Voldemort again. And the dreams seem to be progressing."

"Did you tell Sirius yet? You know he worries about you."

"I know," said Harry as Alexis guided him over to her bed and sat down. "But he seemed to be really happy today. I didn't want to ruin it for him. And I had no one else to turn to. Tonks isn't home yet and…"

"It's alright," she whispered soothingly. "I'm family too, ok? Now Harry, can you tell me what you're seeing in these dreams?"

"I can't remember exactly. But it feels bad. It feels like those last two times I met him."

Alexis turned from his eyes, seeming thoughtful about something. She was thinking about all the ironies that had been going on lately. She wondered if they could be foreboding something bad. After a short silence, she turned back to Harry.

"It's just a dream, alright?" she said comfortingly. "We have nightmares all the time. Don't pay any attention to them. If you're scared, you know you've still got me, Sirius, and Tonks to defend you." She smiled, holding his face with a tender look in her eyes.

Harry nodded. He took a few long breaths and sat there, calming himself in her presence.

"And Harry, you really need a haircut," said Lexi suddenly, trying to defuse the tension.

That drew a small laugh from the boy.

"But I'm not cutting it. I don't trust myself with your hair. As for Sirius and Tonks…well you can take a gamble with them," she smiled.

Harry laughed again, his heart growing. "Lexi, sorry I made a mess of your room."

"Eaten up by guilt now aren't we Harry?" she smiled.

"You knew?"

"It was either you or Sirius," she said. "No big deal Harry. I can clean this up later."

"Can I help you clean up? As…as an apology?" he asked, wanting something to get his mind off of his nightmare.

"It's the middle of the night," she laughed softly.

"Can I help with something? I can't fall asleep again right away."

"You can help me figure out why my necklace wouldn't work on a stupid protection shield that Moody set up," she said, picking up her necklace and examining it closely again.

"Maybe it doesn't work on blood magic," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"Blood magic," Harry repeated. "One of the books you let me lend to Hermione talked about blood magic. She found it so fascinating that for the past two weeks she'd been sending me letters about it. She just returned it today and sent me a letter asking about how your ghost necklace can work in a place as secured as Hogwarts. Then she found that possibly the only protection that can't be tampered with is blood magic," he told her, eager to be of some help.

"Blood magic," Alexis mumbled as she searched her mind for more information about the familiar term. "Of course," she said suddenly. "Nothing can lift protections made by blood magic. You're brilliant Harry!" She hugged him. "Remind me to thank Hermione later when I see her again. Blood magic! It's so obvious!" She grinned and Harry smiled with her, his nightmare forgotten temporarily.

* * *

><p>She felt like a rebellious teenager again, sneaking home way past curfew. Tonks opened the door to her apartment slowly, peeking her head in first to make sure no one was awake. The living room was dark and quiet, and she could hear Sirius' loud snores coming from his room. With a smile on her face, she walked into her apartment with Remus close behind her. Their fingers were intertwined and Remus chuckled softly as he followed Tonks, sneaking back into her own home. He'd wanted to walk her home, because that was what lovers do, was it not?<p>

Being as quiet as they both could be Remus and Tonks both managed to get into her room and shut the door without making a noise. Tonks sighed and dropped down onto her bed. She then pushed herself up, sitting on the edge of her bed as she looked at him. Remus was still smiling as well. They'd been talking the entire night. Though they did not kiss, being in the presence of each other alone was enough to make their heads spin.

"Are you sure about missing the World Cup? You were so excited to see it."

"I'll get Lexi to take pictures of it for me. Being with you is more fun," she smiled.

"What about your troubling case?"

"We can all worry about it when more information comes up," she replied.

Remus smiled and looked at her. Nothing could change her mind. After their talk, Remus still didn't understand how or why she could care for someone like him, and he felt he would never understand. But Remus knew that having her there was enough for him, more than enough.

"I guess I'll be going now," said Remus after smiling with her a while longer.

"Alright. Goodnight Remus."

Remus slowly began walking towards the door to her room, heading out. He suddenly stopped and Tonks could see that he was thinking about something inside his clever mind. She sat on the edge of her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest as she watched him.

Suddenly, Remus turned around and took quiet steps back to her. Tonks continued to sit and watch and remained quiet, wondering what he was doing. A loving smile appeared on her face when Remus held her face gently and leaned in.

He gave her a quick and gentle kiss on her forehead, whispering 'goodnight' as his lips touched her skin. Tonks closed her eyes and smiled at his gentle kiss goodnight.

"Goodnight Remus," she said.

"Goodnight Nymphadora," he said again and in silence, disappeared into her dark hallway with the door closing behind him.

* * *

><p>Responses:<p>

Naina15: haha, thank you, and yes, omg what i'd give to go to Hogwarts. I might sound like Hermione (which is a good thing haha) but those subjects, even History of Magic with Binns seem very interesting!

RemusTonksFan: thank you! and you're welcome haha xD

TheMoonIsLowTonight - funkyfish: I'm sorry I made you late for your drama class. You take drama? That's brilliant! But thanks for reading though xD

Hannah: thank you and you're welcome! xD i try to update on a good schedule now and I actually have shifted some of the ideas for scenes I want to write for Prisoner of the Moon into some of my other Remus + Tonks stories I'm writing write now. I'm working on like five actually but I haven't posted them up, only this one.

Jocasta Silver: yes, remus and tonks takes a long time but i think it's kind of their thing haha, and as for Marrick and Lexi's relationship, they will have their time, just not yet though. Oh my god I already have so much going on haha, I'd go cuckoo! and the last line, thank you!

LoopyLuna13: thank you for both reviews and reading! and yes, when I read them over I always notice a million mistakes. sorry, i hope you can overlook them

short and proud: hey! thank you for reading! thanks so much! and yes, I notice I have a whole bunch of mistakes and goofs too but I hope you can overlook them because though I edit them whenever I read them again on my laptop, i don't repost them onto this site. and I try to update every week on the same day so hopefully you'll continue to read, thank you xD and you're an editor? wow! i hope my grammars and writing isn't too bad haha (laughs nervously...english teachers give up on me)


	6. Beneath the Pale Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

I hope you like this chapter, it's especially about Remus and Tonks' romance xD I tried to not make it too sappy and corny but then I realized I failed at that so I just went on with it, not caring whether it sounds sappy or not. I like it though, I hope you guys like it too. Also, for the previous chapters when I mentioned the Riddle house and Voldemort's past, I went back and revised it so now the detail is slightly different. It's nothing AU, Voldemort's background story is still the same. I just won't go much more into it though since this is Remus and Tonks and the adults' story and they won't find out much about Voldemort until later, unlike Harry who always is. Anyways, thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and supporting! I hope you continue to like this story, thank you!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 06 – Beneath the Pale Moonlight<strong>

_~ The burning passion which urged them on was scorching them; it would have burned them had they tried to restrain it._

The Weasley Burrow was warmer than ever. Sounds of warm teasing and mirthful laughter could be heard ringing through the garden and all throughout the magical little house. Molly Weasley was in the kitchen happily hovering over the hot stoves preparing dinner. Arthur Weasley was eagerly showing Sirius many muggle contraptions he'd collected over the years. Often times they would ask Alexis or Tonks or Hermione what some of them were—such as a computer of which Arthur and Sirius both called a _contuper_. Tonks was sitting in the Weasley garden with her cousin, watching as the red-headed twins chased garden gnomes around the yard. Harry was joking around with Ginny, Bill, Ron, and Charlie. Hermione was situated under a tree close to them, entranced by a large book in her lap that Alexis had lent to her.

"Lexi, how are you so sure that blood magic is the only exception to your Ghost Necklace?" asked Tonks, continuing on with the conversation that had consumed the last hour.

"Think about it," Alexis replied, leaning back on her elbows as she watched the warm summer sky. "If it works in a place as safe and secure as Hogwarts, there can't be many exceptions to it. Harry showed me the book that talked about blood magic and it makes sense that the necklace wouldn't work on such kinds of protection."

"If that's true," Tonks began. She leaned back on the large tree they sat under, her eyes gazing off into the distance towards the changing clouds in the golden horizon. "What in the world is Mad-Eye doing resorting to blood magic? It's against auror protocol to use such kind of magic even on the most confidential and restricted areas."

"I don't know cuz. You tell me. He was _your_ mentor."

"What could be hidden there that others can't find out?"

"Saying that it was Voldemort's birthplace, I'd say there can be a lot of things hidden there that people don't want others to find out," Alexis replied.

"Doesn't it seem really weird though?" Tonks continued to ask. "Silv and I get a seemingly normal case about a missing muggle man. Then it turns into all of this. Do you even think we can find Frank Bryce or any leads on him inside that mansion?"

"You may or may not find leads on him, that I cannot answer you. What concerns me is what the Riddle Mansion could be hiding. I mean, now that you've come this far, an abandoned Death Eater headquarters sealed by an auror's use of blood magic makes the thought of finding a lost old man seem more like an afterthought. Excuse my bluntness."

"I know what you mean." Tonks leaned back and stared at the horizon for a long time.

Mad-Eye Moody, no matter how irritable and paranoid he was, had always been a hero in her eyes. He was the greatest auror of all time, the best there ever was. He was her mentor and an extremely just and righteous man. Tonks had been through thick and thin with him over the years and had known him well enough to confidently say he couldn't be up to something…_bad_.

"He must have something hard to say," said Tonks suddenly.

"Pardon?" Alexis said, puzzled.

"Lexi, this is _Mad-Eye Moody_ we're talking about, the old codger who screams _constant vigilance_ everywhere he goes. He can't have any ill intentions. It's literally impossible when you know it's Mad-Eye. He must have inner troubles he cannot say to us…like an ulterior motive."

"That old coot _does_ always have an ulterior motive for everything he does," said Alexis analytically. "However, I worry that this time the motive may not be very pleasant…"

"You can't say that," said Tonks stubbornly. "He must have a hidden reason for all of this. I'm sure of it. I know him well enough to say that."

Alexis stroked her cheekbone with her index finger and then pinched the bridge of her nose as she sighed. She knew that no matter how well _constant vigilance_ was drilled into her colorful cousin's head, she would never think about being skeptical of those close to her. It was no use arguing with Tonks and so Alexis decided to change the conversation.

"Let's not talk about it anymore. We have other things to worry about. You have to worry about Remus and tonight's full moon and I have the Quidditch World Cup tomorrow."

Tonks relented and nodded, leaning back and ridding her mind of all ambiguity regarding her old and—if she dared to admit it—beloved mentor. "Yeah, we have so much going on—the full moon, the World Cup, Sirius and his new job." As Tonks spoke a smile crept onto her face.

"I wonder how he'll fare," said Alexis. "I mean Fudge was that big of a dolt to post the news of Sirius' escape to the muggles. How would they react to an ex-convict working as their waiter at a simple café?"

"If the café owner was willing to give Paddy a chance and hire him, then perhaps it won't turn out as bad as we think it will."

Closing her eyes, Alexis nodded. She laid back in the grass, listening along with Tonks to the music of the Weasley garden consisting of mirthful laughter and animated conversations. It relaxed her, lying there on that warm summer evening.

"If nothing comes up, we should go to the World Cup again next time," said Tonks.

"If nothing comes up, I promise you we will," Alexis replied. "But then again, you could've gone this year. You just chose Moony over a simple Quidditch game—even if it _is_ the final match of the World Cup," she teased with a smirk afterwards.

"I'd pick Moony over Quidditch any day," Tonks said, beginning to blush.

"But you _love_ Quidditch," Alexis laughed, sitting up. "I remember very vividly. You kicked me down the stairs at Hogwarts when I accidentally ripped your Bulgaria poster!"

"When was this?" Tonks asked indignantly.

She tried putting Alexis in a headlock, resorting to their childish days of play fighting. However, Alexis was too quick and their play fight continued on for a short while with Alexis' constant teasing and Tonks trying to get her to stop.

"That never happened! I never kicked you down the stairs," said Tonks while trying to muffle Alexis' laughter. "I kicked you _up_ the stairs at most."

"Like that makes much difference!"

Alexis shifted back to her sitting position under the large tree, breathing heavily and now adorned with several fresh patches of grass stains all over her clothes. She was rubbing a slightly bruised elbow while glaring at Tonks in a joking manner.

"So tell me how are things with you and Moony now that you've…you know."

"What do you mean? We haven't done anything!"

"Yes but-well, just how are things going? I'm trying to be a considerate cousin here. Don't ruin the moment," Alexis huffed, hiding a smile.

"Well…I don't know," Tonks began. "I'm just going to take it one step at a time."

Alexis sighed. "Tonksie, your romantic relationships are always so complicated."

"You're one to talk," she retorted. "Your relationship with Marrick is like a bloody hurricane. You two fight _all the time_ and then make up at the end of the night."

"Ah…we don't really make up. I just have better things to do than argue with him—like mess with Sirius, play video games with Harry, tease you and Remus, drink some firewhiskey, or help Gred and Forge settle on their identities," she listed and laughed.

"Do every time you argue with Marrick, you go talk to Fred and George?"

"Yes," Alexis nodded honestly. "Silvia is a sweetheart but she's so busy and Padfoot hogs her most of the time she's over. And Fred and George, Georgie especially, they're lovely when it comes to comfort. They make me laugh and such and they understand me…" Alexis paused for a moment. She'd stopped herself before she went any further depicting her _liking_ of the twins. "And I have no other friends," she added to lighten the conversation. "It's so sad!"

Tonks smiled and shook her head at her cousin. She then looked up to see the twins who have stopped chasing garden gnomes now and joined in on the game of table-jousting. She really felt bad for Molly's tables, seeing that they were being beaten and battered. A smirk fell on her lips as she wondered if Molly had any knowledge about this game of table-jousting—the matriarch must be too busy in the kitchen to notice.

When the sun was beginning to set, Tonks climbed to her feet. She wanted to get to Remus before moonrise, and actually have some time to walk with him down the dirt path to the Shrieking Shack they both were all too familiar with.

"I better go," Tonks told Alexis with a genuine smile on her face.

Her cousin smirked. The glint in her eyes was very familiar to Tonks', Sirius', and even Andromeda's. "So when do you think you and Remus will be officially together?"

Tonks could only shrug but she was falling in love with the feeling of being close to him.

"Great," Lexi grumbled under her breath. "I wonder if Paddy will let me change the bet."

"What? There's a bet?" Tonks asked upon hearing the words 'Paddy' and 'bet'.

"Nothing," Alexis grinned broadly and quickly scrambled to her feet. "Would you look at that, I suddenly feel so energetic. Hey Charlie! I'll switch with you for table-jousting!" With that, Alexis ran away towards the game before Tonks could question her about a bet they made.

Charlie was heading towards Tonks after sticking his tongue out at Alexis who was joining Fred, George, and Ginny's team for table-jousting. His warm hazel eyes then fixed themselves upon her. Tonks realized she'd have to stay for a little bit longer for Charlie.

"Hello Nymph…"

"Finish that Charlie and I will rip your tongue out, step on it, and then hex you into the middle of next week." Her warning came out quickly and instinctively.

Charlie laughed and placed an arm around her shoulders. "Oh same old Tonks," he said.

"I'm warning you Weasley. If you call me the N word again, I _will_ hurt you."

"Alright," he laughed. "You never did give empty threats." Charlie was thinking back to their times together as his eyes turned to some place far away. "I remember in our second year, you pantsed me because I accidentally called you—" He stopped suddenly when Tonks raised a finger and narrowed her eyes on him. Charlie laughed again.

"I'll do more than pants you now Charlie. Being an auror, I _have_ been able to invent a few very useful and embarrassing hexes that I've been _dying_ to try out."

"Oh dear," he chuckled and sighed.

Charlie and Tonks both laughed out loud when a silly argument broke out between Bill's and Alexis' team. It had been Bill, Harry, and Ron against Alexis, Ginny, Fred, and George. They were now arguing, because it appeared that Alexis had charmed their table unbreakable.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Harry laughed. "You're _my_ cousin. You should be helping me!"

"But she's on _our_ team!" Fred and George argued with identical grins on their faces.

"Your team has four people," said Bill. "If anyone gets an unbreakable table it's us."

"Alright then William," Alexis teased. "Charm yourself an unbreakable table."

There was a sudden pause in the argument as Bill twirled his wand in his hand while staring at the wooden brown table with a broken leg. "Well…you see," he began nervously.

"Can we switch teams?" Ron asked suddenly, standing closer to Alexis and Ginny.

"Bill you're useless," Ginny sighed while hi-fiving Alexis.

"Ouch," the twins teased Bill together.

Tonks smiled as Charlie was still laughing at his brothers and sister. She could still remember a time when she used to look at his smiling face with a fluster in her stomach and an irregular pounding in her heart. But now, now she simply saw him as a friend, her best friend Charlie Weasley. Perhaps childhood romances weren't meant to last.

"Poor Bill. I remember when you and I used to pick on him all the time in school."

She remembered those times too—those times when the out-of-place girl with pink hair had fancied the charming Quidditch captain of Gryffindor house. It had been a part of her past, like how her many memories with Alexis had been a part of her past. However, not everything from the past can carry onto the present, and that was just like her one time crush on Charlie.

Tonks looked up at the sky. The sun was setting. It darkened while descending the red horizon. It would be moonrise soon, and Tonks had somewhere she really wanted to be at.

"Charlie, it's getting late, I better go," she said suddenly.

"It's not even evening yet," he said. "Can't you stay until after dinner?"

After dinner would mean after moonrise, and Tonks wanted to be there for him before the moon came. She'd promised him she'd be there before moonrise when he'd finally accepted her help. Tonks wasn't one to break a promise, especially not to Remus.

"Come on Tonks," Charlie added. "We rarely see each other. At least sit for dinner."

Tonks made an apologetic face. "Sorry Charlie. But I promised someone I'd be there tonight." Her twinkling emerald eyes repeated the apology. "Have fun at the World Cup."

Walking into the Burrow, Tonks quickly bade her goodnights to everyone before heading out. Molly and Arthur had tried asking her to stay a bit longer, but finally relented and gave her a gentle pat on her shoulder. As for Sirius, he smirked and winked at her while taking another drink out of his glass of whiskey.

"You sure you can handle the moon alone?" Sirius asked her quietly at the door.

She smiled confidently. "Don't worry Padfoot. I'll keep Moony safe and sound. You go and enjoy the World Cup and when Bulgaria wins do the _in-your-face_ dance to Lexi for me."

As Tonks walked away, she could hear Sirius' laughter booming behind her. She smiled. Tonks wondered how Remus must be feeling. Her thoughts were on Moony as she disapparated with a faint _pop_.

* * *

><p>He sat alone at the Three Broomsticks, his eyes bloodshot and his body weary. Normally, he would have heaved a heavy sigh and picked himself up, dragged himself over to the shack, and laid there to mope all night. However, it was different that time as he sat there. Though he looked worn and tired, inside, he felt better than he had the month before. He was waiting for someone, and it was that feeling, knowing that someone would come and meet him, to be there for him, that kept him sitting there, without all the long sighs.<p>

The bell on top of the door chimed softly and Remus looked up from his empty glass of butterbeer. At the doorway he spotted her pale, heart-shaped face. Her hair was blue that day. It was a bright turquoise blue that lit up her face in a new way he hadn't seen before. The brilliant grin on her face widened when she saw him. Remus smiled, his heart feeling nervous and flustered—it was a good feeling. Tonks' hair shifted from turquoise blue to brilliant bubblegum pink. Though he'd seen her hair pink often, it was that change that made him light up. Her dark green eyes twinkled with a feeling of love that Remus had longed for. He rubbed the back of his neck and licked his lips as he stood up, meeting her halfway from the door.

"Wotcher Remus," she said.

"Evening Nymphadora," he replied. They walked out of the inn together. The distance between them were so little that every step they took, their arms rubbed against each other.

"I thought we agreed you could call me Dora but not Nymphadora."

"I made no such agreement," he replied with a Marauder-like smirk on his weary face. Though faint, jagged scars crossed his once charming face, they were practically invisible to Tonks. Her eyes twinkled when she looked at him. She saw only _him_, the man behind the scars.

"Marauders," she scoffed.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Remus asked suddenly.

"Of course. Lexi said we'll go to the Quidditch World Cup next time so this year I'm spending it with you," she smiled.

A small smile threatened to appear on his face. "What about the dangers?" he asked.

"Remus," Tonks sighed. "I've seen you all mad and furry before." Her tone made the thought of him turning into a wolf seems so harmless and simple.

"There's always a chance something could go wrong," he said with a reminding look.

"I'm an auror Remus. Trust me," she told him and smiled.

Remus looked at her and he felt his tension ease a slight bit. He trusted her, and he told himself that she was strong. Nothing would go wrong, and she'd still be there for him, always. He reminded himself that repeatedly.

"Why do you seem nervous?" Remus asked, observing her gesture.

"I've not nervous, I'm flustered," said Tonks quickly without thinking. Her eyes suddenly widened and her rosy cheeks turned red as a Marauder-like smile appeared on his face.

Tonks avoided his gaze. She turned to look up at the broken dirt path that they were walking on, the one leading to the Shrieking Shack. Her heart began racing and Tonks realized that she was shy around Remus. Never in her life could Tonks imagine herself being shy. But there she was, shy in front of Remus Lupin.

"Am I allowed to know what is making Nymphadora so flustered?" he asked, smiling.

"No," she said, sticking her tongue out. "It's a secret."

He laughed softly, his laughter being the sound that she loved to hear.

She suddenly tripped over her own nervous feet or probably something invisible on the ground—she'd rather believe in the invisible object on the ground. Luckily, Remus was there and he caught her immediately. She was in his arms, clinging tightly onto him.

"How are you able to catch me every single time I fall?"

A smile danced across Remus' face as he shrugged innocently.

"I think you anticipate me falling," she joked. "I'm dead clumsy anyways."

Remus laughed. As he laughed, there was a wolfish glint in his presence, but it wasn't haunting or intimidating like others would imagine. Instead, Tonks found that wolfish glint quite charming—it made him seem wild for lack of better words.

When she looked up again, Tonks realized that her arms were still holding tightly onto his. There was that oddly good feeling again—the feeling of her heart racing and butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Tonks looked away shyly the same time Remus did. They stood close together for a moment longer.

They shyly pulled away, but they still kept close to each other. Tonks' arm would brush against his, but neither would pull away much further. A magical feeling filled them up and comfort became present between them. Remus and Tonks continued walking, heading towards the shabby and dilapidated shack at the end of the broken dirt path, fingers intertwined.

"I know you don't feel comfortable letting me see you transform," said Tonks with understanding in her tone. "So I'll help you settle down and then set up the wards. I'll come in right after transformation and don't worry I won't leave anytime during the night."

Remus turned to her with a very Remus-like smile, and Tonks couldn't help but beam. Her dark green eyes twinkled in the night and Remus found a feeling of homely comfort and warmth, love, with her that he'd long to feel. He smiled for the first time a weightless smile.

"Thank you, Dora," he said, feeling his burden he'd carried for most of his life lifted.

The walk to the Shrieking Shack wasn't as quiet or lonesome as they remembered it to be. Last month, Remus and Tonks had each walked there individually. Remus came before moonrise and Tonks came just before dawn. But that month, they walked there together and the walk seemed warmer and less lonesome as their soft laughter filled the gentle air.

* * *

><p>When they arrived at the broken front door of the Shrieking Shack, Remus and Tonks both paused to gaze upon it. The shack was eerie and quiet. To others, it was a dreadful feeling. However to them, it was a somber but warm feeling—they've arrived at their solace.<p>

Before entering the shack, Remus suddenly paused, holding Tonks back with him as he still held her hand gently in his. He looked around with a puzzled look on his weary and pallid face. Being so near transformation, his senses were heightened and somehow, just somehow, the air around the Shrieking Shack did not feel right that night.

"Remus, what's wrong?" Tonks asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "Something just doesn't feel right."

Having been trained by Alastor Moody, Tonks had learned never to let any paranoid feelings go by unchecked. She surveyed the area, looking for anything peculiar. It could be perhaps the darkness had served as cover to most things happening but Tonks did not spot anything potentially problematic. She held Remus' hand and gently led him inside the shack where she held up her wand.

She didn't cast _Lumos_ like Remus had expected; Tonks muttered another spell instead. "_Homenum Revelio_," she said. Tonks had used the human detection spell in order to sense if any human was around them. No swooping feeling fell over her which meant there was no one else there but them. "I don't pick up anyone," said Tonks. "_Lumos_."

"Maybe it's just my senses and paranoia acting up," said Remus softly.

"I'll just be extra attentive tonight," said Tonks with a reassuring smile.

They made their way into the decrepit living room of the shack together and Tonks helped Remus get down to the floor. Inside the shack, the walls had gotten more holes and the room was lit up by the scattered moonlight. Dusty and broken furniture lay on the sides while Tonks and Remus sat in the middle of the room in front of the fireplace. Non-verbally, Tonks created a fire underneath the mantle as Remus began taking his cardigan off.

"Let me help you," said Tonks in a gentle voice.

Her hands trailed over Remus' as she helped him unbutton his shirt. As she did so, Remus looked up at her and felt his heart fluster and burst at the loving and tender look she had on. He'd never seen Tonks more caring, more loving.

Once done, Tonks sat with him for a little longer, both waiting for the full moon to reach its peak and for the transformation to start. No words were exchanged during that time, but just the presence of each other was enough. When Remus felt his transformation beginning, Tonks quickly made her way outside and began setting up spells and wards. She used some she'd figured out by herself. Others were ones she'd learned from Moody through auror training. Out of precaution and the feeling of paranoia Remus had earlier, Tonks had even used some of the protection ward she'd pried out of her witty cousin. Sparks of many colors flew out from the tip of her wand as she muttered each incantation and magic itself created a glass-like crystalline barrier around the shack.

The sound of Remus' muffled screams inside made her feel a painful ache inside her chest, as if she was really hurting because he was hurting. It must've been really painful for him, having to endure the same pain month after month. Even though Remus had the wolfsbane potion, it didn't make transformation any less painful for him.

His shrieks sounded like cracking thunder and Tonks jumped, nearly dropping her wand as the blood-curling scream rippled through the air. She was an auror. She was supposed to not flinch during those moments. However, Tonks couldn't help herself. Her heart continued to ache and pound up a storm inside her ribcage, knowing the pain was tearing Remus apart, Remus Lupin, the man she'd fallen in love with.

It seemed forever until transformation was over. Tonks held her breath. Right before she sealed off her final ward, she paused to listen inside. She could hear fast breathing and a heavy pounding heart. The heartbeat continued but steadied and softened, and she could finally let the breath out. A smile of relief cracked upon her lips as she closed the final ward.

With one last look into the dark horizon, Tonks felt a feeling of dread and paranoia act up inside of her. She shook herself free of the ambiguity, reassuring herself that she'd done all the wards right and Remus had taken correct amounts of his potion—nothing could go wrong. With one deep breath, Tonks headed back inside the shack.

"Wotcher Remus," she smiled once she got into the decrepit living room of the swaying wooden shack.

Remus was a wolf that night, but it didn't matter to her. Under the light brown fur, the claws, sharp teeth, and gentle amber eyes, he was still Remus nonetheless. The wolf was gentle, just like how Remus always was. He stirred slightly, perhaps aching from his transformation. He looked tired and weary, but he still perked his head up, amber eyes lighting up with obvious delight. Tonks came closer to him, looking at him warmly.

Coming closer to him, she noticed that he pulled back slightly when she sat down in front of him. His amber eyes looked at her with worry etched in his ardent gaze.

"I've done this before, Remus," she told him in a soft voice.

He didn't budge or make the slightest movement.

Tonks rolled her eyes and scooted closer towards him, placing a warm hand upon his skin where she'd spotted a small cut he'd already given himself. Remus tried to ebb away but Tonks pointed a finger at him, narrowing her eyes.

"You're hurt, you're not going anywhere," she said.

She broke out into a soft giggle when she noticed that Remus had suddenly rolled his eyes. Tonks then reached for her wand and placed the tip gently on his cut, healing it with a simple charm. She looked around him for any more cuts and scratches and quickly healed them, rubbing his warm fur as she went. When she was finished, Tonks nodded, smiled, and tucked her wand away. She then looked into his eyes, searching for some kind of reaction. In those amber eyes, she could see that gentle and ardent look he always had in his sapphire blue eyes. She lit up when she noticed his eyes twinkling. He was smiling.

For a while, Tonks sat in front of him, petting him and talking to him. She'd tell him stories about her childhood, reveal to him the many interesting things that had happened to her, and tell him about her dreams. Often she'd search Remus' eyes for a reaction, and she'd laugh when she spotted them. He'd either smile or seem to be rolling his eyes, or in a way, his eyes seemed to be teasing her back.

As the night grew longer, Tonks was growing sleepy and she could see that Remus was as well. She shifted closer to him and made her way into his hold. Tonks could feel Remus tense suddenly at her closeness but she reassured him she'd done it before, almost a year ago during the blood moon. Remus minded his teeth and claws and kept them away from her as she snuggled up against his warm body. Carefully, he placed his paws around her to cradle her back and Tonks laid comfortably in his hold.

"See? It's not so bad," said Tonks with a grin as she leaned back and closed her eyes. "It's really comfortable and soft," she added with a giggle. "Goodnight Remus."

Before she slept, she turned to him and smiled, feeling completely at ease being in the same room as a fully grown and transformed werewolf. It didn't feel odd to her—to be sleeping in the arms of a wolf. Slowly, as the moon journeyed its way across the pitch black sky cascaded with twinkling stars, a pink-haired auror had fallen asleep in the arms of her lover.

* * *

><p>When morning came, under a warm blanket in the derelict living room of the familiar shack, Remus woke to the gentle touch of the morning sun. Golden rays of sunlight fell through the many holes in the ceiling and walls, cascading the room like shining stars. Remus stirred and opened his eyes slowly, his body aching but not as badly as the month before.<p>

He rubbed his eyes and yawned. When Remus was about to sit up, he remembered that he wasn't alone that morning. There was a weight on his chest, a weight that felt more comfortable than heavy. He looked down. For a second he was surprised. Then he remembered. Tonks had spent the night there with him. She didn't leave him once. And in the morning, there she was, her head lying on his chest while her body was curled up against his. Remus couldn't help but smile.

"Nymphadora," he called her softly while nudging her shoulder lightly.

She mumbled something he couldn't quite hear as she stirred.

"Nymphadora," he called again after some time.

"Don't call me Nymphadora," she said, smacking him lightly.

Remus winced when she'd smacked one of his cuts. Tonks bolted up immediately.

"Oh my god," she said, helping him sit up while rubbing her sleepy eyes now wide awake. "Bugger. Bugger, I'm so sorry Remus," she said quickly, checking his small cut.

He managed a soft laugh as he sat up, his aching bones cracking. "It's alright Dora."

An apologetic look was still present on Tonks' face as she passed him his neatly folded cardigan and another blanket. Tonks left the room for Remus to quickly change back into his clothes. When she returned, the two blankets were folded and left back in the corner of the room, waiting for when it would be used again next month. She then came over and put his arm around her shoulders, helping him stand. Remus tried to carry as much of his weight as he could, but his aching and bruised ankle was making it harder for him.

"Just relax Remus," said Tonks. "I'm pretty strong you know. I can support you."

"But I'm supposed to be the man here," he said weakly.

She suddenly let go of her grip on him. "So this is some pride thing? I'll never understand you noble Gryffindor prats." She grumbled and grabbed him again just as Remus began rocking.

"Not pride. I just don't want to burden you." His voice was too soft. It made Tonks' heart ease as if it was wrapped in satin and in the satin wrapped heart she was as flustered as ever.

"You're not burdening anyone," she said, holding onto him a little bit tighter.

"Dora, you've just wasted a night. You deserve better than this."

"I didn't waste a night, I got to spend it with you. However, you are right, I do deserve better, so you should be nicer to me from now on," Tonks replied, smirking.

He sighed but didn't know what else to say. A small smile cracked his worried look. It eluded him how such a wonderful woman was willing to settle on someone like him, but for once in his life, he felt that he should accept it and be grateful that she did, rather than keep pushing her away. After all, if he kept pushing her away, there was a greater chance of losing her.

As they left the Shrieking Shack, both Remus and Tonks felt their senses and paranoia act up that time. It was strange and that ambiguity wouldn't leave them be. They spent a moment looking around, searching for anything peculiar.

"It's odd," said Remus.

"There's no one else here but us," said Tonks.

"Let's just…it's probably nothing," he said after a while and another beat passed before Tonks nodded her head and agreed with him.

"Off we go then," she said, helping him walk.

Remus and Tonks walked together down to the _Three Broomsticks Inn_, the closest public building with an accessible chimney. Even with Tonks helping him, Remus still looked visibly injured with several cuts apparent on his pallid skin under his shabby cardigan.

When Madam Rosemerta saw them, she instantly bombarded them with endless questions. The woman was eager to know how Remus ended up so badly injured, but she was genuinely worried about him as well, having known him for so long.

"He had a bad run-in with the Whomping Willow at Hogwarts," Tonks said quickly.

Finally Rosemerta stopped her questioning and beckoned them home. Remus and Tonks stood in front of the chimney, staring at each other as they wondered where _home_ would be. For each of them, home was a completely different place.

"Let's go to your house," said Tonks suddenly. "You must feel more at home in it. Besides, my apartment doesn't have a chimney. We'd have to apparate."

Remus nodded and stepped into the chimney with Tonks and a handful of floo powder.

"Number 8 Crescent Street," he said and threw the powder down to the ground.

Together, Remus and Tonks saw the image of the _Three Broomsticks Inn_ swirl and quickly fade away. They disappeared in a fiery sea of emerald green flames. The next scene they saw was of Remus' one room apartment in the middle of Surrey.

His chimney burst into a storm of green flames. Remus landed on his feet, staggering a little. Tonks however, had slipped. She fell out of the chimney, sending ashes up everywhere. They were coughing and choking through the cloud of dark grey ashes as they found each other.

Remus reached for her and helped her up, despite his protesting limbs who cried for a long rest. Tonks then quickly shifted so that she was supporting him again, and in their ash marred appearance, she helped him over to his sofa. As Tonks set Remus down, she wiped the ashes from her face. She only succeeded in shifting it around rather than removing it.

"Sorry," Tonks smiled apologetically. "I hate flooing."

"I do too," Remus chuckled, releasing a breath as he looked around his dark flat.

"Why's it so dark in here?" Tonks asked.

As she rushed around his small apartment pulling up the curtains and opening some of the windows, Tonks didn't know that every post-moon morning, Remus would return to this darkened home to mope a little bit longer. He watched her dance around his bare and shabby furniture, making goofy faces when she was about to trip. She pulled up all the curtains, allowing the sunlight to fill the room. The sun washed home was different from its usually darkened state. Remus felt warmer sitting there on his threadbare sofa, warmer than he'd ever felt in there. Perhaps it was her presence that made it so warm. The sunlight was shining brightly through the glass windows, and it made Tonks glow like an angel as she stood in front of a bright open window, admiring his little flat.

"So this is what your place looks like," said Tonks, looking around with eager eyes.

Remus' home was a small apartment in a quiet little building on Crescent Street in the middle of a muggle neighborhood. Around muggles, it was much easier for him to live since none of them would ever suspect that their quiet neighbor was in fact a weary old werewolf. Remus' home filled with his own magic was practically invisible in the muggle town.

"It's quite messy," he said.

"I like messy," Tonks replied, looking at the pile of books from the table to the floor. "Luckily you're not unnaturally clean."

"It's not much…but feel free to look around," he said, watching her.

Immediately, Tonks bounced up on her feet, ignoring the grey ashes that covered her face, hair, and clothes. Her smile shined brilliantly even through the ash. She walked around his apartment, discovering another one of his solace that was entirely his.

Tonks bounced around eagerly. Remus was neat, but he wasn't unnaturally clean, and Tonks felt comfortable in his home. In one corner, a small mattress laid unmade beside a large window with golden rays of sunlight shining through. His walls were covered by bookshelves, more books, a wardrobe, and an end-table without a lamp. There was a shabby, ocean blue threadbare sofa in the living room next to the large fireplace that was made a mess after their arrival that morning. Remus' bathroom was ridiculously clean, and that was the one part that to Tonks seemed unnatural. Next to his bathroom in another corner of the one-room apartment was his kitchen. It would have looked completely untouched if not for the lone cup of cold tea sitting on the wooden counter beside a half-eaten bar of chocolate from Honeyduke's.

There was a record player that sat beside the mantelpiece and another shelf—that shelf was filled with record discs. His home looked quite cluttered but neat. Everything had its place and not a page was out of place. There was a familiar scent to it, a scent that to Tonks was entirely Remus. She smiled. The apartment was so Remus.

"Pathetic isn't it?" Remus asked once Tonks had finished gawking.

"No," Tonks replied truthfully. "It feels warm, like how home should feel."

"That's because all the curtains are up."

"Well then you should leave it up. Honestly Remus, you're so pale. You need some sunlight in your system. Trust me it's good for you," Tonks smiled.

He couldn't hold back a laugh and he didn't understand why. Remus laughed softly and Tonks soon joined him. Two ash marred faces laughing warmly in a place that felt warm like home, it really wasn't something Remus expected to happen on a post-moon morning.

Tonks soon found herself over beside Remus' record player, browsing through his surprisingly large collection of music. Remus watched her from behind, wondering if they shared any similar interests in music.

"Hey, you have some _Weird Sisters_," said Tonks excitedly. "Can I play it?"

"Feel free to do anything," he smiled, sitting back and watching her.

Tonks grinned upon finding out that Remus had some songs that she knew by heart. She placed the record on the record player and carefully placed the needle down. When the music began playing, Remus was surprised to see that she'd chosen a soft and slow song.

_Lying here with you so close to me  
><em>_It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe  
><em>_Caught up in this moment  
><em>_Caught up in your smile  
><em>_I've never opened up to anyone  
><em>_So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms  
><em>_We don't need to rush this  
><em>_Let's just take it slow_

"Don't look surprised. I figured trying to get you to dance like a hippogriff right after the moon probably isn't a very good idea."

Remus laughed softly. That had been the exact song he'd expected the spirited and vivacious young witch to play—_Can You Dance Like a Hippogriff_.

"I'm going to find a towel. Just sit there and relax Remus," she said. She pushed herself off the ground, stumbling a slight bit as she turned. Tonks then disappeared into his bathroom.

When he didn't see her face for a while, Remus suddenly felt lonely again. He looked around at his quiet flat. Without Tonks' presence, something was definitely missing. He began to realize that he needed to see her, for reasons he couldn't explain.

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
><em>_Just a touch of the fire burning so bright  
><em>_No I don't want to mess this thing up  
><em>_I don't want to push too far  
><em>_Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
><em>_Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life  
><em>_So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight_

"Ah, here's a towel," said Tonks, walking back with a damp towel in her hands. She went over to him, kneeling down in front of him as he sat up from his threadbare sofa. Their eyes were leveled and twinkling dark green met with gentle soft blue easily. "Here, let me wipe the ashes off for you. I made such a mess," said Tonks, half entranced by his ardent gaze.

Her every touch was with great care and a gentleness that none could match. Remus watched her, losing himself in her twinkling, zealous eyes as she wiped the ashes off his cheek. Tonks was gentle when it came near his wounds, and she would mutter incoherent healing charms to help him. Never had someone cared for him to that level of tenderness.

Remus continued to watch her, mesmerized by that adoring smile on her face. She didn't seem troubled by him. In fact, she seemed to revel in his presence. He wondered if he'd ever find another person like her in his lifetime. But then Remus stopped wondering. He knew he'd never find another person like her. His thoughts, both logical and illogical, screamed at him to never let her go. And finally, after so much wasted time, he finally obeyed his temptations.

He held onto her hand that was wiping his face. Tonks paused under his gentle hold, her twinkling emerald eyes speaking confusion but not breaking contact with his.

_I know that if we give this a little time  
><em>_It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find  
><em>_It's never felt so real. No it's never felt so right_

"Am I really worth it?" he asked her softly, his voice softer than velvet.

She nodded without hesitation. "You're worth everything," she told him.

He looked into her eyes, his heartbeat racing faster than ever before. An amorous gaze was the only thing between them. Remus slowly closed the little distance they had, his eyes not breaking contact with hers. He'd come so close to her that he could feel her soft breath gently stroke his skin. The distance continued to diminish into nothing. When their lips finally touched, a frenzy of emotions rippled through them. Tonks moved slightly, her lips gently teasing his as if beckoning him onwards. Seduction and lust was present, but love was there as well, urging them onwards with their act. Their eyes closed and they gave in, sparking the tempest of emotions they've been trying to hide all this time.

Finally, after so much time, he kissed her again. Remus took her lips in his, kissing her slowly and gently but lacking no love or emotions. The raging passion in them conjured up a storm it seemed. His one hand continued to embrace her body while his other hand held her face, keeping her close. Soon hands strayed just below the shirt, fingertips touching the skin. Her body was pressed against his as her lips teased him and he kissed her back with equal fervor. They went deeper, and they lost themselves in each other. All other sensations besides love became numb. Hair turned messy and disheveled while lips became red and swollen. Remus leaned back on his comfy threadbare sofa, his arm lifting her up gently until Tonks was on top of him. Fingertips strayed across the warm and soft skin. Her legs cradled his thighs in a way the usually clumsy Nymphadora Tonks would never be able to manage without the urging of passion.

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
><em>_Just a touch of the fire burning so bright  
><em>_No I don't want to mess this thing up  
><em>_I don't want to push too far  
><em>_Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
><em>_Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life  
><em>_So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight_

Hungry kisses hardened and turned even deeper as if they were trying to repay all the time that had been wasted in a silly game of figuring out love. It was a kiss to pay back for all the wasted time it had taken them to realize that _this was right_. Their passion filled the air to the point where Remus and Tonks could feel it on their fingertips. They ignored the world and kissed on and on, losing themselves in the other. The outburst of emotions felt like it should've happened long ago.

They fell in love with each other, all over again, in a new way that bounded their sensations like ecstasy and magic and eased their restless hearts like satin. Love became an addictive drug—it was like they've never loved before. A tempest of love raged through the golden sunlit room in the quiet flat, Number 8 on Crescent Lane. The burning passion which urged them on was scorching them; it would have burned them had they tried to restrain it.

* * *

><p>Responses:<p>

RemusTonksFan: thank you! I hope you like this chapter xD

Luiz4200: oh, Sirius will have some fun. I wonder that myself, he doesn't even know what a contuper is really called

Jocasta Silver: yes, I realized that after I wrote this chapter, oops haha, sorry. anyways, I fixed that and made small edits to the last two chapters regarding Voldemort's past with the Riddles so no more confusion hopefully. anyways, thanks for reading and yes! Sirius got a job! wonder how he'll fare

Naina15: thank you for the tip, I realized that the Riddles were muggles after writing that chapter. I went back and edited it so now I hope it won't be too confusing, thank you for your support!

TheMoonIsLowTonight - funkyfish: I like responding to reviews, it gives me a chance to show my appreciation to you guys xD and I'd like to get more reviews but more or less is ok, as long as there is still someone reading my stories, I'm happy xD and I'm sorry I dragged out Remus and Tonks' relationship so long but I figured it'd make it more real since in real life, one does not simply fall hopelessly in love with a werewolf, no matter how adorable he is haha. and thank you for liking my story. also, I still think it's brilliant you take drama, though I don't know what GCSE means haha. and your strangeness is fun xD also, I'm in stage crew for my school so I understand a little bit of drama, it's super cool, hope you're having fun xD

short and proud: thank you! i try to give everyone an idea of where we are in relation to events in the book and i thought it'd make this AU story slightly more believable. anyways, thanks! and ah I realized it was a spelling mistake. I know it's called "cobswallop" because I heard Hagrid say it in the movies. I don't know why I spelled it that way haha, thanks for pointing it out though

LoopyLuna13: thank you! i try to weave these events into the book to make my story slightly more believable and to give myself an idea of where I am haha. and I try to update frequently because I write like a freak xD thanks for reading!


	7. Into the Darkness of the Night

**Author's Note:**

I don't know why but I quite enjoyed writing this chapter slightly more than the others...hmm. Anyways, please excuse any errors in here as I make mistakes quite often although if they're huge, feel free to tell me xD Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and supporting! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 07 – Into the Darkness of the Night<strong>

_~As he allowed himself to act impulsively, he was reminded of why he was called a Marauder._

"Blimey!" Sirius exclaimed as he followed behind Arthur and the rest of the Weasleys, climbing atop endless flights of metal staircases.

His eyes went wild and frantic as he looked around, staring out at the stadium that would hold the final match of the Quidditch World Cup. A hundred thousand witches and wizards were there, all cheering loudly just before the match began on the silk-like field with six golden hoops fifty feet high. The atmosphere was like a wild party with people screaming and cheering—noises in all direction. He'd been in Azkaban for so long, as Sirius looked out towards the crowd, he suddenly felt that magical feeling take him over, like he'd just seen magic for the first time in his life. He felt as if he was at the top of the world. With where their seats were—in the highest box right in the middle of the field with perfect view—that feeling wasn't a far cry.

"Goodness Arthur! Top box!" Sirius yelled, eyes lighting up with delight.

"Bagman must be quite a fellow to give us these tickets!" said Alexis, taking her spot beside Sirius as they dropped their belongings down on the front row of velvet seats.

"It feels like you've just seen magic for the first time in your life doesn't it?" Sirius asked Harry as they went closer to the edge, looking over the wrought iron fence.

"I love magic," Harry gawked, looking around at the stadium lit by rays of golden lights.

"Just wait. The magic hasn't begun yet," said Arthur, smiling kindly. He then went off to settle down Fred and George who looked like all the mischief in them was about to erupt.

"Have you ever been to something like this before, Sirius?" Harry asked.

"Once, with Remus and your dad," Sirius replied while putting on his red and black attire of robes, hat, and scarf to support Bulgaria. "And I tell you, it was a match to remember."

"What happened?" Harry asked, unable to hold back a laugh at his spirited godfather.

"Don't tell anyone this," Sirius suddenly leaned in and whispered. "But you father tried to steal the snitch right before the match. Naturally, with James' reckless nature, he failed of course. Moony and I were so embarrassed, we pretended like we didn't know him until half the match was done."

Harry laughed, his pale green eyes glittering behind his round glasses as he slipped on the red and black hat to support Bulgaria, like his godfather. They turned around to see that most of the Weasleys, besides Ron, was in support of the Irish. Even Alexis had on a green leprechaun hat like the twins, and a green and white scarf around her neck.

"Oi, Lexi!" Sirius called. "Let's make another bet."

"Alright, on what Padfoot?" she replied with a smirk. Harry suddenly felt like Sirius was going to lose this bet by that confident smirk on Lexi's face.

"If the Irish lose, you call Andromeda her despised childhood nickname, Andy." Sirius knew Andromeda hated that nickname, and whoever dared call her it would no doubt be on the receiving end of a Black family outrage. It wouldn't be pretty.

"Alright. And how about if Bulgaria loses, you shave your moustache and goatee?" Harry lit up at this proposition, wondering how Sirius would look without his moustache and goatee.

"Deal!" Sirius laughed with great confidence in himself. He shook hands with his cousin, having Fred, George, and the rest of the Weasleys as eye-witnesses to their silly bet.

"That's not the first bet she made tonight!" George grinned, swinging an arm over Alexis' shoulder and another over Fred's shoulder.

"Lexi joined us in betting half her life-savings with Ludo Bagman that the Irish will win!" Fred grinned, telling the news to everyone.

As people were getting eager for the match to start, Harry took the moment to look around, soaking in the magic that surrounded him. He suddenly spotted someone, very short and impish, looking ridiculously similar to Dobby. The person, or house-elf, sat in the same box as him, just a few rows behind them.

"Dobby?" he called and caught Sirius' attention as well as the house-elf.

They'd engaged in a short conversation with Harry learning about what Dobby had done with his new freedom. Sirius listened in, finding it odd that Barty Crouch would have his house-elf Winky save him a seat, in the Top box. Harry didn't quite understand why, but Sirius wasn't going to take the time to explain to the boy about the conducts of grown-up Ministry politicians right before a no-doubt exciting Quidditch match.

When they heard Percy greet the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, extravagantly, Harry noticed that Sirius and Alexis had suddenly disappeared from their seats. He looked around and finally turned to Hermione who explained to him in a hushed voice.

"Sirius and Lexi aren't on good terms with Fudge, remember?" she told him. "After Sirius' trial, Lexi told me through letters that Fudge has been pretty uptight with her and Tonks. They're trying to not cause any trouble for Mr. Weasley."

Harry nodded but continued to look around, wondering when his family would be back to watch the match with him. He hoped Fudge wouldn't be there long. Thankfully Fudge had his own row at the very top of the Top Box and wouldn't notice spectators in the rows below him. Otherwise, Harry might not be able to watch the match with his godfather and cousin.

As Harry waited, he suddenly spotted the Malfoys—Lucius Malfoy and Draco, two people whom Harry didn't think twice about saying he detested. There was a woman with them. She was tall, slim, and would've been nice-looking if she hadn't been wearing a look that suggested there was a nasty smell under her nose. She must've been Draco's mother, and Harry had just heard Lucius introduce her as Narcissa. Something suddenly occurred to Harry. As he looked at the icy woman a bit closer, he finally saw the resemblance. She had the same eyes as them—Lexi, Tonks, Sirius, and Andromeda especially. Her looks were similar to Andromeda's as well. It was odd. Narcissa Malfoy then suddenly disappeared from the box, just like Sirius and Alexis had moments ago.

* * *

><p>"Alexis Lydia Black! What'd you pull me away for? The match is just about to start!" Sirius protested, trying to pry his wrist out of his cousin's unyielding grip.<p>

"Oh hush up, will you?" Alexis replied shortly. "Fudge is here. We don't want to put Arthur's family on his bad side and you can't deny that after your trial, Fudge _really_ hates our family," she explained.

"Bugger," Sirius grumbled. "It's as if I'm still a prisoner."

"Come on, cheer up," Alexis sighed. "You're here aren't you? You're here and you're free. It's just a little trouble we Blacks always have to deal with—just a little mild prejudice."

"Yeah I guess. Now come on, check if Fudge has gone up to his box yet. I want to go back. I don't want to sit next to Crouch's house-elf—what was her name—Winky though."

"Why not? Winky's nice," Alexis replied blankly, peeking her head around the corner.

"Yeah but she's all nervous and jittery. She makes _me_ nervous," Sirius replied.

Suddenly, Alexis' vision was blocked by a familiar face wearing icy cold features. She shot back, falling slightly into Sirius who looked up to that familiar face as well. They hadn't seen her face in a long, long time. It was Narcissa's face, bearing a striking resemblance to Bellatrix and Andromeda. The tension was suddenly present in the air with their little—and very unexpected—family reunion.

"I thought I was seeing ghosts," Narcissa said coldly but her eyes softened very slightly.

"I'm not _dead_," Alexis replied, sounding insulted that Narcissa thought she was a ghost.

"Neither am I," Sirius added quickly.

They haven't been in contact with Narcissa for years. Still they never knew if she was friend or foe, but seeing her, there was suddenly tension in the air. She was a Malfoy now, and the Malfoy family hated them—for the first time it wasn't because they were a part of the infamous Black family.

Narcissa pressed her lips into a firm line. Sirius looked into her eyes. For a second there, he felt like she was about to drop her icy façade and talk to them warmly like the messed up family that they were. However, Narcissa never dropped her icy façade and Sirius and Alexis continued to keep their distance, just like how it had always been.

"How is Andromeda?" she asked rather rigidly.

"Fine, traveling the world," Sirius replied in a hard voice.

The ice queen paused. She looked like she was having trouble choosing a reply. She'd once been so close to Andromeda and Sirius as well. They were after all, family. It was hard to completely erase the bonds left by the simple familial connection.

"And Nymphadora?" she asked after a while, her voice growing harder.

"As colorful as ever." It was Alexis who replied that time.

She nodded, seeming like she had nothing else to say. It was a rather awkward family meeting. Sirius and Alexis were about to lamely excuse themselves back to their seats—even if Fudge was still there—but Narcissa suddenly said something that slightly unhinged them both.

"The next time you visit your parents, Alexis, send a greeting from me. And Sirius…" she paused, searching for the right words. "Enjoy the match." Her words were quick and before they could say anything else, Narcissa Malfoy returned back to her husband and son's side, an icy and sneering expression replacing her puzzled gaze.

"Odd," said Alexis, heading back to their seats with Sirius. It was moments like that which puzzled Alexis on whether Narcissa was light or dark. Perhaps she was a shade of grey.

"Well it _is_ Narcissa," said Sirius, glancing back at the woman, his cousin whom at one point in time, he'd been so close to. "She never _did_ openly choose a side…yet."

He'd been close to all of them. In Sirius' childhood, his favorite cousins had been Andromeda, Marcus, Narcissa, and even Bellatrix. Yes, Bellatrix. It was a childhood that seemed like eternities ago. It was a childhood before the Black family was torn apart by war, and before they've all slowly begun to lose their minds. It was a childhood that would never return.

"The match is starting!" Sirius announced, trying to pull his thoughts away from the gloom and drear. He turned and grinned to Harry, slightly disappointed that he'd missed the appearance of the teams' mascots.

* * *

><p>THUD!<p>

He stirred awake quickly, panicking to the loud thud that had woken him. Remus bolted upright, his head turning in all directions. He was lying on the soft but messy mattress in the corner of his flat, feeling the gentle breeze graze his skin from the open window. Nothing was out of place it seemed, but Remus knew better. He kicked off his blanket and then climbed to his feet, his light blue pajamas ruffled and his light brown hair disheveled.

Memories of the previous day replayed inside his mind as he made his way over to his threadbare sofa, searching for his pink-haired lover, hoping to not find a freshly made Tonks-shaped hole in the wooden floor of his old flat.

There she was, lying on the floor beside the threadbare sofa, groaning as she pushed herself up. Remus got to her side immediately, strangely agile for a post-moon evening. It took a moment for his eyes to transition in the darkness of the night. His vision of Nymphadora Tonks turned from a black silhouette against the night into full view of the beautiful auror. Her pale, heart-shaped face was lit up by the scattered moonlight that fell through the windows and he saw her expression. She was sleepy and she sighed as she rubbed her legs and looked up at him.

"Nymphadora, are you ok?" he asked, seeing her disheveled look.

"Yeah," she replied. "I fell off your sofa, that's all." Her voice was much hoarser than it had been hours ago when they were stirring up a storm on that very same sofa, kissing ardently.

He helped her back up onto the sofa. Remus tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear. He smiled. "You're sure you're ok?" he asked to make sure.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Sorry I woke you though."

Remus shook his head. "The sofa is quite small," he spoke slowly. "Perhaps it would be better if you sleep on my bed and I can sleep on the sofa," he suggested.

Tonks made a face. "It's _your_ flat, Remus. I can't make you sleep on the sofa while I take your bed. And besides, I'm not the one aching with fresh cuts and bruises all over my body."

While straightening out Tonks' messy pink hair, Remus bit his lips. He wondered how he could fix things, so that she wouldn't end up falling again in the middle of the night. Tonks stifled a yawn and Remus forced his mind to think faster, not wanting to ruin her sleep.

"Well, we could perhaps share the bed," Tonks suggested blankly, staring at the ground with weary, sleepy eyes. She stifled another yawn.

Nearly choking on nervous air, Remus had to ask her to make sure. "Sh…share the bed?"

"Yes, share the bed. It's not right to make you sleep on the sofa, and to be honest I kind of prefer a nice soft bed to your hard, cramped sofa."

As she talked and yawned, Remus knew that she must be too sleepy to think properly. He blushed upon the thought of sharing the same bed as her, but oddly, somehow, miraculously, Remus felt that it was a good idea. He eyed his old sofa—why he had suggested Tonks could sleep on the hard and ratty old thing was beyond him. Perhaps as two completely mature adults, they could share a bed. Remus yawned. He thought _he_ must be too sleepy to think straight as well. And so Remus agreed and helped Tonks up to her feet.

When they got over to his old but soft and comfortable mattress in the corner of his flat, Remus' blush intensified. Tonks comfortably sat down on the side of his bed, leaning against the wall. He watched her with nervous eyes. Remus wondered why he suddenly felt so flustered, more than he'd ever felt before. He'd kissed Tonks, just that day. They'd been sprawled out on his sofa kissing for what felt like several eternities. So why was he so nervous simply sharing a bed with her. It wasn't like they were going to do anything.

"Goodnight Remus," Tonks yawned. She kicked off her boots.

"Err—Dora what are you doing?" Remus asked weakly as Tonks took her jacket off.

"I can't sleep with my jacket on silly. It's so uncomfortable." Tonks tossed her jacket to the side. The jacket landed with another loud thud on the floor because of everything she had in her pockets—her wand, auror badge, and other necessary magical items no doubt.

Remus sat down after a while, on the outside of his bed. Tonks was still and quiet. She must've fallen asleep again. He lay down, his heart pounding like drums. His heartbeat was so loud they were deafening to his ears. For a long while he laid still and quiet but he couldn't fall asleep. Remus' heart felt like it was going to rupture or burst through his skin and bones right out of his chest. He couldn't get the thought out of his head. Lying next to him was Nymphadora Tonks, a beautiful young woman. Remus thought he'd fallen into a very odd but lovely dream.

"Oi Remus," said Tonks suddenly. She wasn't asleep, Remus realized.

"Yes?" he said softly while feeling like his insides were turning.

"You only have one blanket."

"You can use it Dora," he told her and pushed the messy blanket over to her.

Silence.

"I can't sleep," she said after a while.

"I can't either," he replied, trying to calm his heart down. Remus wished there was some kind of spell or enchantment to calm a restless heart.

They both got up and climbed back out of the bed. Remus and Tonks headed down towards the kitchen on the other side of the flat, Remus catching her easily when Tonks tripped in her stride. As Remus searched for the tea kettle and two mugs for tea, Tonks situated herself on top of his wooden counter, swinging her legs back and forth.

Remus tapped the tea kettle once and steam immediately rose from it. With another wave of his wand, the dirty dishes in the sink were cleaned, washed, and dried instantly. From the cleaned dishes, Remus took out two mugs of tea and began putting tea leaves into them and pouring the steaming water in afterwards.

Drinking their hot tea, their eyes wandered out towards the window. It was still evening, because they'd taken a nap even before the sun had set. Remus and Tonks sat beside each other on his mattress, their knees touching each other's as their eyes traveled around Remus' tiny flat and landed on the threadbare sofa Tonks slept on and fell off of, the same sofa that hours ago, had been made the setting of a passionate storm by them.

"Who do you think won the match?" Tonks asked suddenly, talking about the World Cup he supposed. "I hope Bulgaria won."

"Nymphadora, I'm sorry you had to miss the final match for me," Remus said softly.

Tonks crossed her arms and looked at him. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"What?" he asked.

"You make spending time with you sound like a punishment," she sighed.

"It is, isn't it? Most other witches and wizards would consider it a punishment."

"Oh yes, most definitely," said Tonks with sarcasm dripping from her scarlet lips. "It is such torture to spend time with a kind, caring, amusing, funny, and intelligent professor."

"Anyone in their right mind would detest the idea of spending time with a werewolf."

"Then I'm not in my right mind now am I?" Tonks retorted.

Remus was quiet. He turned to the floor for a while, but then stole a look at her.

Unexpectedly, Tonks turned to face him. She shifted so that her entire body faced him, and Remus couldn't help but do the same. He didn't know what to say to her. He simply lost himself in her entrancing green eyes. Those twinkling emerald eyes he knew so well, but could never get enough of.

"Why must you always think badly about yourself?" she asked him softly.

"I…I don't know," Remus replied, looking down. "I'm afraid of myself," he admitted weakly, spilling his trembling heart to her. "I'm afraid I'd hurt someone. I've had close calls before—back in school…with you…I'm afraid of myself." His voice grew weaker and hoarser.

"Don't be afraid of yourself Remus," said Tonks in a voice that was softer than velvet. "There's nothing to be afraid of in here." She placed a gentle finger on his chest over where his heart laid beating rapidly.

He looked up at her and met her twinkling green eyes. Remus was rendered speechless, caught up in her magic—a magic that required no wands or incantations. Tonks had him bounded to her under a spell that she emitted naturally.

"And if you ever feel like you don't belong anywhere," Tonks began, voicing one of his greatest fears. "Remember that you belong here," she finished, taking his hand gently and placing it over the center of her chest.

Remus pulled back slightly, but he relented and allowed Tonks to place the palm of his hand over her heart. He could feel the steady and fast heart beating below the pale skin and bones, and Remus swallowed hard. After a while, he felt his heart beat the same rhythm as Tonks' and wondered if he was imagining things.

"You're a Marauder. You were once wild and mischievous living your life with laughter and fun every day. Don't let your fears tame you now," she told him in a soft, silky voice almost like a whisper. Tonks' eyes sparkled as he looked into them. They sparkled with a sense of love and understanding that he'd never found in anyone else ever before.

Remus captured her lips with his, slowly. He could feel her breath hitch, but instantly Tonks relaxed under his hold. Her lips played with his, teasing him, seducing him, and beckoning him onwards. Remus obeyed and found him pulling her closer again, making a tempest upon the messy corner mattress.

They kissed endlessly, as if being that close was simply not enough. Their hearts pounced and drummed as they became a captive in the grasp of the other. Remus trusted Tonks with his battered heart, because he knew she would care for it whole-heartedly, just like how he would with hers. They held each other tighter, pressed a little closer, and kissed a little deeper. Once again, they have lost themselves in a passionate kiss.

As he kissed her he found that he'd been giving in to his impulses all day. Surprisingly it proved to be worth risking everything. Remus pushed the kiss a little deeper, and a little deeper, until his hands strayed onto soft, smooth skin and her legs cradled his waist with utmost care. Suddenly, feeling stronger than ever, Remus lifted her and laid her back on his bed, kissing her with greater fervor. Remus could feel her lips smiling as they kissed. As he allowed himself to act impulsively, he was reminded of why he was called a Marauder.

* * *

><p>Even after the final match had ended with Ireland victorious, there was still noise and sound everywhere in all directions. No one had expected Viktor Krum to catch the golden snitch and end the match with Ireland victorious.<p>

Harry was chatting animatedly with Ron about the events of the match, how Krum had performed the Wronksi Feint and how Harry wanted to try it out himself. Sirius was engaged in a disagreement with Charlie and Arthur about cobbling, but it was a good and friendly disagreement. Alexis and Fred and George were counting up the galleons they've won from their bet with Ludo Bagman. Hermione and Ginny were giggling about something Harry couldn't quite understand.

When they got back to their tent, the excitement continued with Fred and George dancing around, singing and cheering. It was only when Ginny had fallen asleep after a fit of laughter that Arthur had decided it was time for bed as well. Harry and the others changed into pajamas as Alexis and Hermione helped Ginny into the next tent. Alexis was suddenly back again, wearing a blue dressing gown as she chased Sirius around the tent with Fred and George, trying to shave off his moustache and goatee. Their attempt to shave him was unsuccessful and after another row, Arthur suggested they try again tomorrow and they were finally going to sleep.

As the kids were just falling asleep, Sirius and Alexis went out of the tent together, looking up at the night sky. There was still much singing and celebrations going on.

"Too bad Nymphie and Moony couldn't come," said Sirius, sighing at the sky.

"Yeah, she would've loved how Bulgaria lost," Alexis laughed softly. "And Remus supports Ireland correct? That would be a fun argument to see."

Sirius chuckled with eyes flitting around as he watched all the dancing lights and flying leprechauns surround them. "Today was the best, even if we did have a rather awkward family meeting. Have you been in contact with Narcissa?"

"Not since tonight," Alexis replied. "Andromeda isn't even in contact with her. It's like…after the first war ended, our family just sort of split."

"Our family fell apart way before then cuz," Sirius sighed, ruffling her black hair.

An eerie wave of silence fell over them. Sirius and Alexis stood on their tip-toes to see what was going on over the tents surrounding them. The noise of the crowd had suddenly shifted from celebrations and singing to screaming and terror. Something was going awfully wrong.

Screams could be heard in place of the mirthful cheers before. People were fleeing, running away from a mob of black that was sweeping slowly towards them. The black mob was emitting large flashes of light and gunfire-like sounds. Sirius and Alexis tensed, wondering what was going on. From the black crowd, there was suddenly a strong burst of green light which illuminated their faces, and Sirius could finally see.

The blackness that was approaching them were people, dressed in all black with hooded cloaks and their faces masked. They were marching slowly. High above the black mob were four struggling figures being contorted into grotesque shapes. It was as though the masked wizards on the ground were puppeteers and the people above them were marionettes operated by invisible strings that rose from the wands into the air. Two of the figures were very small.

"That's sick," Alexis spat, staring at the scene in disbelief and shock.

Sirius froze. He was caught in disbelief. It couldn't be happening. He had to be imagining things. Sirius wondered if he'd had any alcohol that night and thought perhaps he'd had too much to remember anything. It wasn't real.

"Death Eaters," said Sirius in a dark whisper.

Alexis turned immediately. "What?"

"They're Death Eaters," Sirius repeated.

His cousin turned back to the scene, her wand suddenly appearing from out of nowhere in her hand. Alexis said a few swear-words that even Sirius Black would never, ever dare to repeat in his lifetime.

"Get Arthur," said Alexis. "I have to find an auror. They're bound to be here somewhere." With that she ran off.

Sirius ran back into the tent, hurriedly waking Arthur up and explaining to him the scene as he pulled all the others awake as well.

"Arthur! Death Eaters!" he called as he pulled Fred and George awake. "They're here, causing trouble!" Sirius continued as he through a pillow at Ron. "Lexi ran off, wake up the kids!" he said, patting Harry awake and running out to the other tent to wake up Hermione and Ginny quickly before returning again to see Arthur Weasley struck with fear.

The kids bolted up with confusion in their sleepy gaze. Sirius then turned to Harry, his godson who was hopelessly confused while rubbing his sleepy eyes. Sirius took a breath.

"Harry, get out of here, _now_!" he said and the look in his eyes had explained that there was danger to Harry. The kids left the tent as Sirius followed Arthur in helping the others.

As Sirius ran he hoped that Harry would get out of there safely. With everything that he knew, Sirius worried for Harry the most. The Death Eaters wouldn't think twice about killing the boy or capturing him if they ever came across him. He hoped as he ran that Harry would be safe. Sirius trusted his godson's ability to save himself. He trusted Harry's friends, knowing they would help him. Sirius took a breath and made a sharp turn with Arthur. He had to find Alexis now. Sirius had never seen his little cousin duel before and he worried for her, running off like that. What if she ran into a Death Eater, he thought. She wouldn't be able to defend herself. She was an Unspeakable who tinkers, not an auror who fights.

* * *

><p>It was the middle of the night. Everything was quiet, and everything was still. Even the second wave of the tempest of passion that had broken out in Remus' flat had calmed. Remus turned and rubbed his eyes as he woke up, looking around dazedly.<p>

There was that weight on his chest again, that weight that was more comfortable than heavy. Remus looked down and he saw Tonks' angelic face, lying there, peacefully asleep. She was snuggled up against him, her head on his chest. Tonks' pink hair had reverted back to mousy brown, and Remus knew that she was tired from the day's events.

He suddenly perked up when he smelt something odd. Remus tried shifting so that he could get up without waking Tonks, but he came unsuccessful. Tonks stirred and she woke up slowly, her disheveled brown hair falling over her eyes. Remus wanted to smack himself for not being gentle enough and ending up waking her from a much needed slumber.

"What's going on?" Tonks asked in a hoarse, sleepy voice.

"I smell something…burning," said Remus bemusedly, looking around.

Tonks rubbed her eyes and sat up, shifting so that she was sitting beside Remus on the mattress again. Remus continued to look around, wondering if he'd accidentally set something on fire without noticing. Tired, Tonks rested her head on his shoulder, about to fall asleep again.

It wasn't until the burning smell became so apparent that Tonks perked up again, her eyes more awake than before. "Oh my god I smell it too."

After a moment, they suddenly heard an odd noise as if it was metal and iron grinding against each other. Tonks' eyes suddenly widened and she seemed wide awake as she pushed herself off the mattress and scrambled around in search of something.

"Oh dear lord, it can't be," she said hastily, tossing the covers aside, searching still.

Confused, Remus looked around, trying to spot something odd and wondered what was going on. Tonks stumbled over to the foot of the bed and lifted the sheets up to reveal her jacket lying on the floor. She picked it up and ruffled through its pockets for something. Suddenly, Tonks pulled her hand back, grunting as if something had burnt her. Through his now awake eyes, Remus realized that her jacket was smoking and it had been the thing that was burning.

"Bloody hell," said Tonks, looking at her finger.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, rushing to her immediately.

"I think it's my auror badge."

"Your auror badge?" he asked, confused beyond his wits.

Tonks nodded as she carefully pulled her wand out from her other pocket. "Some lunatic came up with the idea of a burning auror badge to get our attention when we're needed," she explained to him and Remus finally realized that it was the badge burning. He'd seen it once before. Remus remembered that once when he had needed to talk to her, Tonks' auror badge had burned her and she was called away by something urgent.

"Is your hand ok?" he asked her, observing her burn.

She nodded quickly but Remus immediately summoned his wand. With the long wand in his hand, he quietly muttered several charms to ease her burn—ease it then remove it completely. She looked. Tonks didn't speak but she had grateful eyes and it was the first time he'd ever seen that kind of look towards him in anyone. Remus nearly melted under her gentle gaze.

"It must've been burning for a long time. Might be something really urgent," said Tonks, looking back at the pocket of her jacket as white smoke rose from inside. She looked puzzled, and Remus knew she must be trying to find a way to get her badge out without another burn.

"Let me try this," said Remus and whispered a freezing spell under his breath over the badge inside. Almost immediately, the smoke ceased to rise and Tonks' entire jacket felt icy and cold. He reached inside and pulled out the black leather case that had the gleaming silver Ministry badge on the front. Remus then handed it to her.

Tonks instantly flipped the case open and looked inside. Remus saw that there was her certificate and identification as an auror, along with a glistening silver backing to the badge where a message seemed magically engraved on its surface.

_Urgent: ALL AURORS NEEDED.  
><em>_Trouble at the Quidditch World Cup. Apparate there immediately.  
><em>_CHAOS AT THE WORLD CUP. APPARATE IMMEDIATELY._

"Bugger all," said Tonks, looking up at Remus. "Sirius, Lexi, and the others are there."

"Go, now," said Remus, rushing her off.

"But what about you?" Tonks asked suddenly.

"I'm fine Nymphadora. Go, you're needed," he said and helped her slip her thin jacket on while heading towards the door. Remus scrambled to open the door quickly for her. As Tonks ran out of his door, she did something that Remus almost didn't notice in all the panic. She jumped up and kissed him briefly on the cheek, and finally disapparated with a soft _pop_.

* * *

><p>"Oh bloody hell!" Tonks exclaimed when she'd apparated onto a mucky pile of drinks.<p>

She stomped around, trying to get whatever she'd stepped on off her boots while trying finding her way. Tonks was sure she'd apparated to the World Cup, but where was the action?

"I wish I had Lexi's locator," Tonks grumbled.

The trees were tall and thick and she was completely lost. Tonks looked around, hoping on a whim that a familiar face would suddenly pop out of the trees and tell her where to go. Tonks had her wand in her hand and she ran around the woods. She heard noises, and she knew she was getting closer to where she was needed.

Noises grew louder and Tonks could finally make them out to be screams and shrieks of sheer terror. Her heartbeat raced with adrenaline as she quickly jumped over a fallen tree with more coordination than she would normally have. Tonks headed in the direction where all the noise was coming from, still looking for a familiar face.

She spotted someone at last, but it wasn't a face she'd wanted to see. The face was familiar no doubt, but she knew he wasn't friendly. It took a long time for Tonks to match the face with a name, and when she finally did, utter confusion drowned her. His face was hollow with dark, piercing mad eyes. His hair was straw colored and there was a dilapidated state to him. He looked as if he'd just gotten out of Azkaban, but that couldn't be possible. Tonks drew a breath. She was staring at Bartemius Crouch Jr. in the face. His name had been made famous within the Ministry, especially to aurors. Mad-Eye had told her that he was the one who'd tortured Frank and Alice Longbottom, two great aurors that would've been her heroes.

Tonks didn't say a word. Instead, when he spotted her, Tonks instantly ran towards him, half-apparating so that it would be faster. Her half-apparition state was white like a ghostly smoke moving at a fast pace. Before Tonks got to him however, Crouch Jr. disapparated with a loud and thundering _crack_.

"Bugger," Tonks cursed under her breath.

Her eyes scanned the scene like Mad-Eye had taught. Tonks then gave up her chase on Crouch Jr. and continued to run towards all the sounds. Soon, she came to a clearing and found Harry, Ron, and Hermione, standing there with fear and worry engraved upon their faces.

"Harry! Ron, Hermione!" Tonks said, running towards them, shifting to a brilliant white half-apparition state again.

"Tonks!" they all said as the white smoke collapsed and Tonks appeared from it.

"What's going on?" she asked quickly. "Where are the others?"

"There's a riot!" said Hermione in a sharp breath.

"Mr. Weasley, Sirius, and Lexi have all gone to help," Harry added quickly and Tonks finally spotted that his face was marred with dirt. "We can't find the others."

"We already told Mr. Bagman and he disappeared, perhaps going back there," said Ron.

"Is it at the stadium or the campsite?" Tonks asked the trio quickly.

"Campsite," Harry and Hermione said together with Ron a bit slower behind.

Tonks nodded and was about to apparate there herself, when another noise suddenly came to her attention. She turned around to look in the woods behind her, gripping her wand tighter in her hand. There was someone there, someone staggering towards their clearing. Tonks held her breath, anticipating someone to come out of the bushes. She could almost expect to see Crouch Jr. again. However, the footsteps stopped and came to a sudden halt.

"Hello?" Harry said, walking past Tonks. "Who's there?"

"_MORSMORDRE_!"

Her breath hitched and her eyes widened. Tonks watched as something vast, green, and glittering erupted from the direction of the low voice, flying over the tree tops and into the sky. Her heart seemed to have stopped as she watched the colossal skull comprised of emerald stars with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue formed. It rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky like a new constellation.

As the woods around them erupted with higher, louder screams from the skull that illuminated the woods like a grisly neon sign, Tonks finally found her voice again. The first thing she said was several curse-words that even Ron Weasley would never think to repeat again in his lifetime, and Tonks said them very, very loudly.

"Move! You three get out of here! Get as far away as possible!" said Tonks hurriedly.

"What is that?" Harry asked, wondering why he had to run again.

"It's the Dark Mark, Harry!" Hermione moaned, pulling him as hard as she could. "You-Know-Who's sign!"

"_Voldemort's—?_"

"Harry, come _on_!"

Tonks had heard a series of loud popping noises sound around them, in a familiar formation that she'd often been a part of. Before the kids could run, she immediately grabbed all of them and pulled them to the ground as she did so herself.

"DOWN!" Tonks yelled.

"_STUPEFY_!" roared twenty voices. A blinding series of flashes could be seen along with a firework of brilliant scarlet lights. Tonks felt her hair and jacket ripple as if swept by a strong wind. She let out a sigh of relief, thanking Merlin that they hadn't been stunned by that formation. She and the kids would've been in the hospital for weeks!

When Tonks heard footsteps approaching them, she deemed that it was safe to stand up. Immediately Tonks grabbed her auror badge and took it out, holding it up to them in hopes of stopping what felt like another wave of the same formation.

"Stop!" sounded a voice Tonks recognized immediately. "STOP! _That's my son_!"

She was relieved to see Arthur Weasley running towards them, pushing past a group of aurors who were advancing as well. Tonks then spotted Sirius and Alexis running up, Sirius roughly knocking a wizard, Dawlish, to the ground in his haste.

"Harry!" Sirius yelled. "Tonks!"

"What's going on?" Tonks asked one of her cousins while Arthur checked if the kids were ok in a shaky voice.

"Death Eaters," Alexis breathed, her face, like Sirius' and Harry's, was marred with dirt.

"What?"

"Tonks," sounded Kingsley's voice. "Tonks! I was looking for you," he breathed.

"Kingsley we've got a real problem," said Tonks, not forgetting about Crouch Jr.

"Out of the way, Arthur," said a cold, curt voice she again recognized.

It was Barty Crouch Sr. and Tonks had to take a second look at his state. He looked taut with rage and slightly mad with popping eyes, wand pointed up directly at the trio, and her.

"Which of you did it?" he snapped. "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

Tonks rolled her eyes and tossed her wand to Kingsley who'd performed a checked on it and confirmed with a very mad Barty Crouch Sr. that it wasn't Tonks who'd summoned it. As she got her wand back, she could see that Barty Crouch was still pointing his wand up at the kids, pointing at Ron directly now.

"Which of you three conjured it?" he asked, his eyes popping.

"Barty," Alexis whispered in her dirt marred face and woolen blue dressing gown. "They're kids, Barty; they'd never be able to—"

Her cousin was cut off by Barty Crouch and Kingsley who'd pulled them both to the side. "Did you see anything Tonks?" Kingsley asked while keeping Alexis away from growing irritated with Crouch Sr. and pushing his buttons.

"Yeah," Tonks replied. "I think I saw Barty Crouch Jr."

A solemn look fell on Kingsley and Alexis as they stared at her in disbelief.

"Crouch Jr.?" Sirius asked from behind her and he stepped up to her side.

She nodded. "While I was getting here. I saw him and he ran away from me…"

"That's impossible," Alexis said in a low voice. "Crouch Jr. is supposed to be dead," she whispered, keeping their conversation private and away from a still panicking Barty Crouch Sr.

"Tonks, are you sure? He'd supposedly died in Azkaban years ago," said Kingsley.

Tonks nodded. "I know what I saw."

"We need to get back to the Ministry then. Sirius, you should stay here with Arthur and watch over the kids. _Don't_ let Harry Potter out of your sight."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Sirius replied and returned to Harry's side.

"What about Barty? He's mad thinking it was the kids who did it."

"We can't waste any time," said Kingsley. "The kids didn't do it and they'll be let free soon. We have to get back. We've got a supposedly dead prisoner and Death Eater on the loose."

* * *

><p>The Ministry of Magic was a large, grand place. It was like one of those very fancy, ancient, yet high end office buildings. The Atrium was a long, splendid hall—a marvelous place with close similarities to the Victorian London Underground. The walls were of black lacquered tiles that glowed green with the continuous floo travel going on in the endless gilded fireplaces there. At the exact middle of the Atrium was a large fountain decorated by golden statues—a wizard, a witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf, the latter three looking adoringly up at the witch and wizard. The trickling drops of water in the fountain added onto the busy sound of flooing, apparition, and footsteps in the Atrium. The rest of the Ministry wasn't much different from the Atrium's grandness and splendor.<p>

Many witches and wizards were rushing back and forth, all wearing fearful and distraught faces in their pajamas, dressing gowns, and even night dresses. One woman even had her disheveled hair up in curling irons as she rushed into a chimney, a pile of papers in her hands. It was chaos at the Ministry, after the events at the Quidditch World Cup and many more happenings around the country that all seemed like a mysterious chain invisibly linked. The peacock-blue ceiling was displaying messages of urgency and what would be tomorrow morning's headline news. They all relate to the Quidditch World Cup in one way or another, and often times the name _Harry Potter_ would be spotted in the mix.

An hour must've passed by, maybe two, and Tonks didn't even notice it. She was rushing back and forth between the Atrium and the auror office, helping Kingsley in finding out exactly what had happened. All of the aurors and other Ministry staff had been called in, most still wearing their pajamas and dressing gowns with sleepy expressions on their faces. It was the middle of the night after all—they'd all been soundly asleep until their shocking awakening.

Tonks was rushing down the hall with a pile of folders in her hand. Sirius had told Kingsley the people in black at the campsite were Death Eaters no doubt. Tonks was now holding an armful of suspected Death Eaters—the folders old and dusty from years of being untouched. No one had expected them to be used again. When Tonks got down to the Archive, the misinformed witch even looked at her as if she was mental and belonged in St. Mungo's.

"Tonks!" Alexis' voice caught her.

She turned around to meet her disheveled cousin, gripping the waist of her loose dressing gown with a stack of paper in her hands.

"Rookwood and I were sent to look up the files and we've found something involving Crouch." Tonks stopped to listen to her cousin. "He supposedly died shortly after his conviction to Azkaban and the Dementors buried him right outside the walls. We're going to find Fudge to ask him for approval to dig it up."

"You're digging up his grave?" Tonks asked, shocked.

"Well frankly, grave-robbing sounds much more interesting than using Legilimency to read the minds of about a hundred paranoid witches and wizards who thought they've seen Crouch Jr. at the World Cup," Alexis replied quickly, revealing to Tonks what the rest of the Unspeakables down in level nine were up to.

"Do you think Fudge will allow you?"

"I asked Kingsley and he said that with the risk of a high-level Death Eater like Crouch Jr. on the loose, we have to do everything we can to settle the matter."

"What can I do to help?" asked Tonks quickly.

"You can talk to Moody."

"Mad-Eye?" Everything had been relating back to Mad-Eye lately. Tonks still needed to talk to him about unsealing the Riddle Mansion up for her, and now she must also speak with him about Crouch. For a second, Tonks' growing paranoia instilled in her by the nutty ex-auror himself was troubling her. Why was everything that was happening lately having Mad-Eye Moody involved in one way or another? "Why Mad-Eye?"

"He's the one who caught Crouch. Why do you think a chunk of his nose is missing?"

"Mad-Eye again," Tonks mumbled, wondering what her old mentor was up to at that minute. While the entire Ministry was a mess, what was the man was doing in retirement?

Alexis left quickly as Tonks went into the overfilled lift, heading up to level two. She scrambled through the black door at the middle of the brightly lit hallway and stepped into the farm of cubicles that was the auror department. With all the papers in her hands and the entire Ministry in utter chaos, Tonks knew she'd be working overtime for the next several weeks.

"The ruddy git!" she heard Silvia say as Tonks passed by her cubicle.

"Silv, what's wrong?" she asked upon the level-headed woman's sudden outburst.

"It's Fudge!" Silvia huffed, straightening her very revealing night dress. Obviously Silvia hadn't had time to cover herself up more. "He's denying that they're Death Eaters and he's trying to stop our investigation on Crouch Jr. saying that it's just your accusation."

"But I _did _see him!"

"And we believe you! Others have reported seeing a mysterious man around that completely matched the descriptions. We've even got the Unspeakables to use Legilimency on them and it's all proven to be correct. I swear our Minister is a…"

"This is bad," Kingsley's deep voice suddenly sounded, cutting Silvia off from cursing at Fudge with words that no doubt would get her in trouble.

"Kingsley, what else is going wrong?" Tonks asked and was taken back when Kingsley suddenly looked at her with a very worried gaze.

"Tonks, you're officially removed from all current investigations," said Kingsley in a chilling business-like tone. He still had worry etched all over his gaze as he held his hand out to take the folders and papers in her hands.

"Bugger it all," cursed Tonks, wondering what she'd done now. "What did I do?"

"Have you or Remus gone to the Shrieking Shack lately?"

"Yeah, it was just the full moon last night." A feeling of dread suddenly overcame Tonks.

"Frank Bryce's body was found near the shack, seemingly mauled by an animal…" Tonks nearly fell back, her head growing dizzy and aching. "Remus is a suspect in his murder."

* * *

><p>Responses:<p>

RemusTonksFan: thank you for supporting! it's alright if you're busy xD read whenever! that's why written stories are always nicer than spoken stories xD

HPfollower 101: i didn't mean for it to be a cliffhanger haha, sorry, and thanks for reading!

TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish: i think i need to take a trip to England to get a feel for myself of the English language and beauty of England haha. and thanks for reading and yes, i would fall for Remus so quickly too i mean he's like the sweetest guy you'll ever read about!

LoopyLuna13: i'm sorry you hate that song :( i just thought it fits the moment even though they go a bit further than kissing. and i try to fix all my errors (thank god for spell/grammar check) but I still make mistakes. and i can't wait to write about sirius working too. it won't be a big part of the story but just imagine sirius and annoying customers xD

short and proud: hey! thank you for pointing out the errors, I tried to fix them as best I can i hope that's ok. and thank you for reading! I'm big on Remus/Tonks fluff too but I realized that an all fluff story, no matter how nicely written, gets boring fast for me (i've tried an all fluff story i've just never posted it). anyways, thank you! and i hope you'll continue to enjoy my story

Madie-Loo: thank you so much! i guess it's because things happen in my head like a movie so imagery is easier for me than other parts of writing, there's still much to improve for me though so if you see anything, feel free to tell me, thank you for supporting!


	8. What the World Doesn't Know

**Author's Note:**

I tried just writing this chapter without an in-depth plan like I usually do. What do you guys think? Feel free to give me any pointers or advice or constructive criticism, thank you!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 08 – What the World Doesn't Know<strong>

_~The world doesn't know that there is a beauty, a love unlike any other, behind this beast._

Late at night, Remus sat quietly in his shabby and overstuffed threadbare armchair listening to the wireless, unable to sleep. Several hours ago, Tonks had left his flat in a hurry to answer to an emergency call and Remus had been restless ever since. He couldn't fight away the uneasy feeling inside of him. It could simply be his paranoia, or it could be something more—Remus didn't know. However, he did know that something was happening, something dark and very unpleasant—he could feel it in the air.

Gentle blue eyes were staring at the blank ceiling of his bare flat. The announcer on the wireless seemed to have gone into a state of hysteria as Remus could no longer understand what she was saying. There were loud noises coming from the other direction where the station was broadcasting and Remus could only guess that whatever happened at the World Cup had been a malicious event that struck fear and panic into many people's minds.

Remus sighed and ran a boney, scar-crossed hand through his light brown hair. He was worried and that was something he could not deny. Not only was Remus worried for Nymphadora Tonks, his lover whom had just ran off into the fight, he was also worried about his friends—his family—who also were attending the World Cup. Remus wondered what was happening. He was getting no information at all from the hysterical announcer and was left wondering, wallowing in the worst.

"What could possibly happen at the World Cup?" he mumbled to himself.

For a moment, Remus paused to think. He was quite sure that nothing dangerous could possible happen. Perhaps a small mob or dispute had broken out between avid fans of the two final teams in the match. Nothing big could be happening.

"There are too many aurors around, no one would be foolish enough to try anything," Remus continued to mumble to himself, more so to reassure his uneasy heart.

However, no matter how much he tried to convince himself that nothing big or potentially dangerous was happening, Remus' paranoid heart wouldn't believe it.

Finally, as if to wake him from his trance, the doorbell to his little flat suddenly buzzed. Remus sat up, eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. That was odd, he thought. Tonks knew how to undo all his locking charms and Sirius would have just used the floo and got right inside. Curious, Remus got up to answer the door.

When he opened his door, he was taken aback by surprise. Standing at his door was two familiar faced aurors with their badges in hand, stern-faced and exhausted looking. They didn't smile and the tall, brooding one on the right spoke in an icy, sneering voice.

"Mr. Remus Lupin?" he questioned.

"Yes…sir," Remus replied cordially. "What is the problem, sirs?"

"Mr. Lupin," the other man spoke in a less icy and sneering voice—his tone was laced more with forced and tired cordiality. "The corpse of a muggle man was found dead today in the premises of the Shrieking Shack. Since you've listed the shack as your location of transformation each month as a werewolf in the International Werewolf Registry, we now suspect that you may have linkage to this murder. We ask for your cooperation in returning to the Ministry of Magic with us for further questioning."

"W-what?" Remus gawked, surprised. "What murder?"

"It is difficult to say right here, Mr. Lupin. Please come back to the Ministry with us."

Remus' eyes quickly surveyed the two aurors and noticed that their wands were discreetly placed in a familiar position Tonks always had her wand. If he was going to try to make a run for it, they would no doubt stun him. Feeling confused and needing to know what was going on and why he was suddenly suspected for murder, Remus nodded and grabbed his coat and wand, following the two aurors' guidance.

That bad feeling Remus had in the pit of his stomach was now surfacing and boiling, making him feel that things from then on would only get much, much worse.

* * *

><p>"What…?" said Tonks, stunned speechless and at a loss for words.<p>

"Kingsley," said Silvia worriedly. "Why is it _Remus_ who is suspected for murder?"

The tall black wizard took a heavy breath. "On the werewolf registry, Remus listed the Shrieking Shack as his location of transformation. Frank Bryce was found dead tonight within fifty feet of the shack. It automatically makes Remus a suspect…"

"Remus didn't kill anyone. I was with him the whole night. I've been with him since before moonrise up until I was called to aid at the World Cup. I'm his alibi," said Tonks quickly. However, she quieted when a grim look appeared in Kingsley's usually soothing eyes.

"Tonks, we're going to go to Scrimgeour," he said. "Remus should be there. Silvia, run down to Level Nine and see what you can do to help the Unspeakables find Crouch Jr. I don't want them to handle it alone, and I want an auror down there," Kingsley ordered.

With her thoughts in a panic worrying about Remus, Tonks didn't say another word and quietly followed Kingsley's orders. They turned and headed for Rufus Scrimgeour's office while Silvia parted and shoved herself into a crowded lift. So much was happening in one night, moving so quickly, that to Tonks that one night felt like a year.

From outside, Tonks could see the worrying scene in Scrimgeour's office. Through the office glass window, she saw Dawlish and Proudfoot standing beside Remus, guarding him. Remus sat in the chair across from Scrimgeour, his face pallid and more haggard than Tonks had ever seen. Scrimgeour was behind his desk like always, somewhat resembling an old lion with his lips pressed firmly together and an arctic gaze in his eyes.

To the left of Scrimgeour was a man Tonks had never seen before. He was relatively young, perhaps around Remus and Sirius' age. This man had dirty blonde hair and a pointed face. The shameless look of disgust on his face was evident and insulting.

"Who is that man beside Scrimgeour?" Tonks asked Kingsley.

"Ian Rosier," said Kingsley. "He was the one who discovered Bryce's corpse at the Shrieking Shack."

"Wanker," Tonks grumbled at the pointy faced man.

Standing on the other side of Scrimgeour was an infamous face. She was a short, squat woman resembling a large, pale toad. Her broad, flabby face wore a faux smile over her wide mouth and bulging brown eyes. There was a black velvet bow set in her hair and she wore a wooly garment entirely pink from head to toe that only emphasized more of her toad-ish likeness. At a glance she looked completely harmless, sugary sweet even, but Tonks knew the woman was exactly the opposite of her cutesy and harmless appearance.

"Umbridge is here too?" Tonks asked Kingsley, gagging at the thought of being in the same room as the shamelessly biased Dolores Umbridge.

"It appears so. I didn't expect her to be here though."

"Bloody hell," Tonks sighed, deliberately morphing her hair from usual bubblegum pink to a brilliant and blinding shade of turquoise blue. "This won't be good."

"Dawlish, Proudfoot, you may leave," Scrimgeour said right as Tonks and Kingsley enter the room. "Tonks, Kingsley had informed you of what's going on I suspect."

Tonks nodded. As Proudfoot was leaving the room, she'd caught his subtle glance he'd given to her specifically. Everyone in the auror department knew that Madam Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge hated the colorful and clumsy auror Nymphadora Tonks down to the core, for unexplained reasons. The message that Proudfoot had conveyed to Tonks through his piercing grey eyes said something like _good-luck-you'll-need-it_.

Following Dawlish and Proudfoot's departure, the man Kingsley had told Tonks was called Ian Rosier departed as well. He nodded cordially to them and made his way out of the door, seeming like he was trying to keep as low a profile as he possibly could in the busy auror office. He put on the hood of his cloak and disappeared into the crowd.

"Who exactly is Ian Rosier?" Tonks asked Kingsley quietly.

"Not sure yet, but we'll be seeing more of him if he was the one who found Bryce," Kingsley told her, watching the mysterious man vanish into the crowd.

"Tonight at 12:08 a.m., Franklin Bryce's body was found by Mr. Ian Rosier in the proximity of the Shrieking Shack," Scrimgeour began. "Because Mr. Lupin has listed the Shrieking Shack as his location for transformation, we have reasons to suspect that it was he who was responsible for the murder of Bryce—"

"It wasn't Remus, sir," Tonks cut in immediately. "I was with him the whole night—from before moonrise up until I was called to aid at the Quidditch World Cup. I'm his alibi."

"_Hem-hem._" Tonks tensed at Umbridge's signature fake cough. "Nymphadora," she called in a sickly sweet voice that made Tonks despise her name even more. "You will speak only when spoken to. Remember that your purpose here isn't to defend Lupin."

Tonks took a step forward and was about to snap back at the pink toad, but Kingsley had gripped her arm tightly and held her back—perhaps now wasn't the time to lose her head and scream at the woman, no matter how much she deserved it. She huffed, her hair turning to a paler shade of blue as she glanced at Remus. He was the one in the bad situation, but yet he had worry in his eyes, worry for her. Tonks took another breath to calm herself and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to think up ways she could help him.

"Mr. Lupin," Scrimgeour spoke, ignoring the interruption. "It is to my understanding that as a professor at Hogwarts, you are given the wolfsbane potion each month, correct?"

Remus nodded. "Yes sir," he replied softly.

"So with the wolfsbane potion you'd have full memory of how your full moon was spent. Did you or did you not attack Franklin Bryce during that night and incidentally kill him?"

"I did not sir," Remus replied.

"Do you have any input Tonks, seeing that you were with him that night?"

"He had the wolfsbane potion, yes," said Tonks. "But Remus didn't leave the walls of the shack at all throughout the full moon, and you can check both our wands to make sure." She tossed her wand on the table in front of Scrimgeour and gestured for Remus to take out his.

"Kingsley?" Scrimgeour spoke.

Kingsley took the two wands from Remus' hand and ran a stronger and more advanced version of the _Prior Incantato_ charm over both wands. Several small scale images appeared from the tip of the wands, appearing as the ghost of a spell. Once the ghostly images of the spells and charms she and Remus both casted were done replaying from their wands, Kingsley handed their wands back to them and nodded with Scrimgeour, assuring that Tonks' words were true.

"Miss Tonks, are you one-hundred percent positive that in no way whatsoever is Mr. Lupin controlling you or manipulating your answer?"

"I'm positive," Tonks replied immediately with trust expelling from her dark eyes. "Why would he do something like that? The only way to manipulate an auror is by the Imperius Curse and as you can see by the history of spells on his wand, he's never used that curse."

"It is most wise to make sure. He is, after all, a werewolf."

Tonks growled at Umbridge's interruption. Though her voice was sweet, her words were like thorns and she could see that they were really bothering Remus. She patted his shoulder once, reassuring him that it was only Umbridge and that the pink toad's opinions didn't matter. Tonks then seized the chance as Scrimgeour was tiredly looking over the papers, to shoot Umbridge a piercing death glare of the house of Black that she'd made her own.

"Just because he is a werewolf doesn't not mean that he is going to do bad things and carry out illegal activities, _madam_," said Tonks acidly.

Remus looked thankful for her defense, but the look of worry still didn't leave his eyes.

"So silly of me Nymphadora, but it sounded as though you are questioning the types of precautions that as an auror, you must take. Do remember that working for the Ministry, you must not be easily swayed or biased about your work."

"I'm not easily swayed and the biased one is you," Tonks snapped. Kingsley held her back again, but she shook him off that time, openly giving Umbridge her darkest death glare. "Remus Lupin is a wizard like everyone else. His identity as a werewolf is nothing but a minor problem and he should not be judged because of it. You're the one standing here making assumptions that he killed someone, just because he's a werewolf. It's hypocritical of you to—"

"Enough, enough," said Umbridge, her voice growing even higher and sugary. "I am a tolerant woman, but I will not tolerate you defending a savage werewolf who doesn't deserve unnecessary aid, from an auror no less, and distort the safe and precautious way of thinking that for generations had been instilled in us." As she spoke, Umbridge's voice only grew higher and her smile turned even sweeter than before—it was sickening. The mere words coming out of her mouth, insults masked in an air of sweetness, was like poisoned honey.

Scrimgeour, Remus, and Kingsley were unable to interfere with the two woman, as they had no room to cut in and couldn't say anything fast enough to quell them down. Tonks only grew angrier as Umbridge continued her bouts, and Tonks' anger had uncontrollably forced her hair from blue into a blinding, fiery red.

"It's that kind of thinking that's got his whole system so cocked-up!" Tonks shouted, unable to restrain herself much longer. Umbridge was knowingly pushing her over the edge by calling her Nymphadora continuously, and by her hurtful words towards Remus.

"Tonks," Kingsley, Scrimgeour, and Remus said consecutively, trying to keep her calm.

"And my decision to help and defend Remus is none of your business!" Tonks had ignored all the others and continued her defiance of Umbridge.

"Nymphadora!" Umbridge snapped with a muscle in her flabby jaw jumping.

"Don't. Bloody. Call me. NYMPHADORA!" Tonks shrieked. Once she could ignore. Twice was killing her. But thrice, thrice was just asking for an angry metamorphmagus outrage. Tonks could feel Remus and Kingsley both holding onto her arm, keeping her back, but she angrily shook off their grasps. "Just because Remus Lupin is a _werewolf_, it doesn't make him any less human! So start treating him properly, you shameless, cocked-up, prejudiced toad-faced MUNTER!"

Inside Tonks' head, she'd face-palmed herself and threw herself out the window. Her day had been like a roller coaster ride and Nymphadora Tonks was losing it!

"Tonks! Enough!" Scrimgeour yelled like a roar of a lion, much like his looks.

"Dora," Remus whispered, holding onto her and pulling her back again, trying to calm her. "Dora, it's fine," he cooed.

Umbridge's one eye twitched and Tonks could tell that like her, Umbridge was at her snapping point. "Rufus," Umbridge called. "I'd expect you to manage your aurors better. Allowing such an impudent and naïve girl to qualify for auror status isn't one of you better judgment. Her one-sided defense of werewolves, who aren't entirely human and are rather considered…_hem-hem_, never mind—"

Tonks could've sworn she heard Umbridge mutter the insulting word '_half-breed_' under her breath and something must've snapped inside Tonks. Before the woman in pink could finish however, Tonks had already shaken off all hold and restraints on her—she was storming up to the woman, her hand conveniently grabbing the empty wooden chair beside Remus with a fury hell hath none in her eyes as she marched. Tonks was half a second away from striking the pink toad across the face with the chair. She would have succeeded if not for Kingsley and Remus throwing themselves on her, and Scrimgeour slamming his fist on the table with equal rage.

"AUROR TONKS!" Scrimgeour yelled. "If you cannot restrain yourself I will have to ask you to leave!" His yelling was so loud that Tonks was sure the entire auror office had heard.

"Dora, calm down," Remus cooed her, holding her and pulling her back to him.

"Tonks," Kingsley said while shaking his head and giving her glare of warning.

"Madam Undersecretary," Scrimgeour sighed, seeming like he was ashamed to be of a lower work status than Umbridge. "My apologies but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Very well," said Umbridge in a pitchy voice. She jutted her jaw out and walked daintily out of the room. Umbridge left quietly, but the trail of tension and anger she left in her wake could conjure up a storm. Tonks was still seething with anger. She would have kicked the woman in the back-side had it not been for Remus holding her back tightly, his arms around her.

"Don't Dora," he whispered into her ear. "Calm down. You're going to get in trouble."

Trouble…Tonks had been in trouble endless times before. She didn't mind trouble if it meant she could have her way with the pink toad. However with Remus' arms around her, Tonks slowly calmed down. When Tonks looked up again, her eyes met with Scrimgeour's frosty glare, his appearance resembling like an angered old lion on the hunt.

"Kingsley, I want you in charge of the Bryce Murder Investigation," said Scrimgeour in a strained and tired voice. It was a little past three in the morning and the Head of the Auror Office looked about ready to drop everything and leave. "Start the investigation immediately."

"Yes sir," Kingsley replied. "And sir, what about Remus Lupin and Auror Tonks?"

Scrimgeour sighed and held up a hand. That gesture had stopped all of Kingsley's question and the tall black auror simply turned on his heels and walked out of the room, only glancing back to look at his friends before he left for the lifts.

"Mr. Lupin, you are free to leave for now but you will be subjected to questioning and requested for cooperation at any time once the Bryce Murder Investigation starts."

With Scrimgeour's words and Kingsley on the case, Tonks and Remus could relax a slight bit. Now Tonks stood there, staring at her supervisor and wondering what was to become of her fate, after screaming at the Senior Undersecretary in front of a man who is not in any way going to help her.

"As for you Miss Tonks," he began in a sterner voice by he relented and drew a long sigh once again. "You'll be placed in charge of the Crouch Jr. Investigation. You'll be working alongside Silvia and the Department of Mysteries for this one. Head down there now and their Department Head should meet with you."

"Yes sir, thank you sir," said Tonks to the aging man.

Tonks was pleasantly surprised she had not been issued another warning letter. Hurrying before Scrimgeour changed his mind, she and Remus made their way out of his room. Together, she and Remus walked down the still crowded and chaotic hallway, returning to the mess of the Ministry of Magic.

"Dora," said Remus in a velvety soft voice. "I'm sorry." He looked down.

"It's not your fault. Why are you apologizing?" She made sure that her voice was soft as well, because taking her pent up frustration out on Remus wasn't something she wanted.

Remus sighed and looked down. He placed a hand on her shoulder, wanting to apologize further, however Remus suddenly retreated. Tonks wondered why he did so and what suddenly made him retreat. She looked up and finally noticed what Remus had noticed for a long time that she'd failed to see for the past few minutes.

Many eyes were on them, either openly staring with doubtful looks, or subtly glancing with equal skepticism. They were in the auror department after all, and most aurors knew Remus' face—the werewolf who had been made D.A.D.A. professor at Hogwarts. The frosty looks in all their eyes were making Remus feel worse than what Umbridge had said. Some looked at him with doubt, some with fear, some with worry, and some with straight out disgust. Many had looks varying somewhere in those degrading regions. They were all perhaps wondering what a werewolf was doing in the auror department.

"I'm sorry." Remus kept apologizing in a saddened voice. "Perhaps we shouldn't walk together. I'm making you an outcast."

She suddenly came to an abrupt stop, causing Remus to stop unexpectedly with her. He looked at her with apologetic eyes. Tonks however, was glancing all around the room, rolling her eyes at the judgmental mindset that has been instilled in all these supposedly _fair _people.

"Don't be afraid of yourself Remus," she told him softly. "And you're not making me an outcast." Tonks paused. She scrunched up her expression and tried to imagine the most absurd thing that could come to her mind right at that moment. Tonks then morphed her hair into a violent shade of violet, so brilliant that it nearly glowed under the luminescent lights of the department floor. The next thing Tonks did was something no one—not even her—had expected. Tonks morphed her nose and the top part of her mouth into a _pig snout_.

As hushed whispers broke out all over the floor followed by groans and questions, Tonks took Remus' hand and continued on walking, proudly holding onto him with a pig snout on her face. Remus was unable to entirely hide the ghost of a smile on his face. He smiled gently, the smile to a soft chuckle, and it was his smile that fueled her on. Remus didn't think it was right to smile or a good time to smile, but the smile was untamed and came out of him too easily.

"Dora," he said through subtle, hidden fits of hysteria.

"I'm already an outcast, Remus," she told him with a serious undertone. "People already look at me, the clumsy metamorphmagus with doubt. So, let's be outcasts together. It'll be less lonely that way," she grinned brilliantly, getting another smile out of him with her pig snout grin.

Tonks honestly didn't mind making a fool out of herself just to see him smile—that was something she figured was the magic of love. He was feeling better, and she was having a good time. Tonks was relieving her stress, tension, and pent up frustration from the events that occurred in Scrimgeour's office earlier, and she was doing it in a healthy way. As they walked into the lift, Tonks basked under the skeptical and doubtful glares from most others who saw.

* * *

><p>While the rest of the Ministry was thrown into utter chaos, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge sat leisurely in his office, sleepily flipping through a large pile of papers that requested for his attention concerning the mayhem at the Quidditch World Cup. Cornelius Fudge, who is strongly in disbelief that any of the activity could have anything to do with Death Eaters, simply flipped through them without care. He'd rather believe in his own theory about what happened at the World Cup—the reason was simply a bunch of attention seeking people wreaking havoc in hopes of bringing the limelight towards themselves.<p>

From the large window leading into Fudge's office, Alexis could see him well and clear as she marched up through the elegant hallway of the higher offices in the Ministry. She had to force herself not to glare at him and keep up the cold and chilling aristocratic hauteur she was too used to showing. As she entered his office, Fudge jumped up in surprise. He definitely wasn't expecting her and hurried to seem like he was busy.

"Ah, Alexis," Fudge smiled, having been familiar with the sometimes quick-tempered but darkly beautiful young woman from the Black family—the Head of the Unspeakables down in the Department of Mysteries. "I am very busy Alexis, what can I help you with?" he spoke cordially, lamely shuffling paper around in a sad attempt to look occupied.

Without hesitation, Alexis spoke her demand to him. "You _do_ realize, Minister," Alexis began with forced cordiality back at him. "…that there have been many trusted sources claiming that they've seen Bartemius Crouch Junior, a man thought to be dead tonight, right?"

Upon hearing her word, Fudge looked up and tensed immediately. "What do you propose, Miss Black?" he asked in a sterner voice.

"Settle these claims once and for all!" Alexis replied with an obvious undertone. "I say you should go check the grave of Crouch Jr. and…"

"You mean…dig up his grave?" Fudge cut in, shocked. "That's completely absurd not to mention unnecessary. Why disturb the dead, Alexis?"

"Why not? How else do you expect to quell these valid claims?" Alexis argued.

"We cannot dig up a grave like this!" Fudge replied with just as much force on his own ground. "The dead is done and over with."

"Death is only the beginning and as Minister for Magic, you know that!" Alexis argued, growing more irritated by her minister as each second passes. "People have claimed of seeing a dead man walk, how do you expect to calm them?" She paused for a moment and decided to use Fudge's weakness—his reputation—to subdue him. "This will be on the Daily Prophet, Minister. What do you think the entire Wizarding Britain will think when they learn that under your nose, you're allowing a dead prisoner to walk freely? You went overboard with the Sirius Black investigation. Here is one that requires your attention, _sir_," she spoke in a polite voice laced with irritation and dripping with venom.

Fudge grew red and was about to counter her argument. However, he paused when his door opened suddenly and in walked Marrick Kingston. At first, Fudge was happy to see Marrick as the sensible young auror had always seen his way in things, however, he realized Marrick was known as Alexis Black's lover and at that moment, he was her reinforcement.

"Minister, you must listen to her," said Marrick breathlessly as if he'd been there the entire time and had heard their whole conversation. "We've received many owls already from concerned witches and wizards questioning us about the sightings of Crouch Jr."

The Minister turned away. When Fudge's back faced them, Alexis stole a glance at Marrick. She smirked, seeing that look in his eyes. He was acting, like she'd asked him to. There were no owls or letters of questions and complaints. It'd all been a scheme of Alexis' to make Fudge agree to her demand, and who better to help her than the auror that Fudge trusted most?

"Owls you say?" Fudge asked. "What are they asking?"

Alexis forced herself to remain quiet, hoping that Marrick could keep his act up.

"Yes sir, owls," Marrick replied. "They're asking if the rumors about Crouch are true and they question your authority as Minister for Magic."

"My authority cannot be questioned," said Fudge entrancedly.

When Marrick mentioned those words, Fudge seemed to have gone into a fit of hysteria, worrying about his reputation and authority as Minister for Magic. He said many things about the people being easily misled, but nevertheless, he finally relented. Fudge sighed and nodded, allowing Alexis permission to dig up and examine Barty Crouch Jr.'s grave.

"The public will know nothing of this," Cornelius Fudge told them with a grim look. "Marrick, I trust you know when to keep your mouth shut. As for you Alexis…" he paused, knowing that there were many rumors surrounding this woman from the infamous Black family for being able to break the Confidant Charm bounding all Unspeakables. "Alexis, you are an Unspeakable. I trust that you can keep this silent."

After Fudge had signed the permission form Alexis quickly conjured up, she and Marrick walked out of his office together, wearing two different smiles. Alexis' smile was triumphant and full of relief—digging up Crouch's grave will help answer many of the questions recently popping up in her mind regarding the sudden news and relations to Voldemort and Death Eaters all around. As for Marrick, his smile was a mix between pleasure in making his girlfriend smile and guilt in helping her with her trickery.

"Thank you, love," Alexis said, turning to him in an oddly empty corridor of the Ministry and kissing his lips briefly. "I'm sorry. I know you hate doing this."

Marrick sighed. "You have your reasons and who am I to shoot them down?"

She smiled once again and again they kissed—only that time their kiss lasted much longer. He reveled in the taste of her sweet lips while she basked in the feeling of just being with him. Finally after a few long minutes, they pulled apart, lips swollen and gasping for air. Alexis and Marrick looked at each other and laughed softly at their foolish and lovesick behavior.

"I need to get back to work," Alexis said. "Kingsley sent me a memo before I went up here saying I'll need to work with Silvia and a few other aurors in finding Crouch Jr."

Marrick nodded. "Before you go however, I have one more thing to talk about," he said, holding her hand and pulling her back. "Arthur told me when the attack happened at the World Cup, you just ran off. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Sweetheart, you are an Unspeakable, not an auror," said Marrick with concern.

Alexis scoffed. "Alright, I won't run off again," she sighed and rolled her eyes.

Finally, Alexis and Marrick separated. He turned down a different corridor while Alexis continued towards the elevator, wanting to get back to Level Nine and wait to meet Silvia there for their case. She'd gotten inside the elevator and immediately the lift bolted downwards. It took Alexis a moment to realize that she was now on a different floor. The wrought iron grills opened and in walked Lucius Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa, both with platinum blonde hair and a haughty look upon their faces. The Malfoys glanced at Alexis. Lucius simply pretended as if he hadn't seen her and continued on with his business. Narcissa however, couldn't stop glancing at her. Alexis grew quiet, standing in the lift with the two Malfoys, wishing they'd get off quickly.

"Brilliant, another awkward meeting," Alexis mumbled to herself.

When the lift came to a stop again, it was back on the higher offices' level. Lucius Malfoy walked out like an overgrown peacock with his chin jutted in the air. Alexis heard Narcissa Malfoy excusing herself from her husband to use the bathroom and suddenly, the wrought iron grills closed on them. Surprised, Alexis stared at it. She watched as the lift violently jolted backwards and hung there, suspended in the middle of a void blackness with no one leaving or entering.

The mayhem at the Ministry seemed to be in a different world from theirs. Outside the lift, it was all darkness while inside, it was no different than a simple elevator with the yellow light illuminating the small square room and the soft music playing on and on and on.

"What do you want?" Alexis asked coldly.

"May I have a word with you?" Narcissa asked in a strangely gentle voice.

She sounded an awful lot like Andromeda did whenever she had something important she needed to tell her about—it was absolutely awkward. As they stood there, it was then that Alexis noticed the traces of mud and dirt on Narcissa's shoes. They matched the ones on her own slippers she still wore from the madness at the World Cup, along with her blue dressing gown.

"Yes," Alexis replied, curious to know why Narcissa would want to speak with her.

Narcissa opened her mouth but then closed it again as if she had something hard to say. She seemed like she wanted to tell her something but the words wouldn't come out. Narcissa bit her lips and looked down however her stoic expression didn't falter. She was too much like Andromeda, to the point where Alexis was worried about the familiarity.

"Sirius is out of jail, how is he now?" she asked, almost softly.

Although her words were sincere, Alexis could tell it wasn't what she'd meant to tell her when she deliberately stopped the lift.

"He's staying with us," Alexis replied shortly.

Narcissa nodded. She parted her lips again but didn't say what she'd wanted to once again. "And Andromeda…how is she doing?"

"Fine," said Alexis awkwardly.

"Your parents…are they well?" Her voice grew softer with each word.

Immediately, Alexis' eyes shifted to a piercing stare upon the mentioning of her dead parents. She opened her mouth, about to reply, however she closed it, thought for a moment, and then a sly and icy smirk appeared upon her lips. It was a cold and emotionless smirk.

"You never knew…did you?" Alexis asked in a chilling voice.

"Know what?" Narcissa asked.

"I'm guessing she's not told you, Bellatrix, you two will have plenty to talk about then the next time you see her," Alexis said venomously. "My parents were killed by Bellatrix."

Alexis noticed the look of surprise appear in Narcissa's eyes but much like Andromeda, no hysterical reaction surfaced. Narcissa stared at her, lips quavering and dazed by disbelief.

"I-I never knew…I just thought…I just thought they'd left the country…"

"Well now you know," Alexis replied. "Their murder is nothing but another crime on the long list under Bellatrix's name."

She then hastily pressed the glowing blue button on the side of the lift, forcing it to move again. It jolted so violently that Narcissa, and Alexis nearly fell over inside. The lift zoomed out of the blackness and returned to the floor where the Minister's office was and Lucius Malfoy stood there waiting.

"It took you an awfully long time," said Lucius.

Alexis watched as Narcissa left her and walked alongside her husband. As the woman walked, she couldn't help but watch her actions closely despite telling herself that Narcissa Malfoy was no more than an unfriendly acquaintance. She then realized that she was looking at the woman who was still considered her aunt in their messed up, pureblood obsessed family.

Narcissa glanced back at Alexis and for a brief moment, their eyes met. She then spoke with Lucius in a volume that even Alexis could hear. When she spoke, those seemed like the words Narcissa had been trying to tell Alexis the whole time, now masked by a simple clue.

"Lucius, can Rosier be trusted?" Narcissa asked Lucius.

"Now, now, Cissy," Lucius said in a sickeningly smooth voice. "We must not talk about this here." The lift moved away and Alexis could hear them no more.

"Rosier?" Alexis mumbled to herself. "What does Rosier have to do with anything?"

Alexis stood alone inside the lift, holding onto the handle overhead. The lift seemed to have dropped a whole mile before the wrought iron grills finally opened once again. She stepped out into the cold, black marble ground of Level Nine, the Department of Mysteries.

* * *

><p>Tonks had taken Remus down to Level Nine, the Department of Mysteries as she didn't want him going home alone to wallow in his thoughts. They walked together down the long, black marbled corridor that seemed too dreary and too quiet. Tonks felt uneasy being there. The only things she knew about the Department of Mysteries were the things Alexis had decided to tell her. Oddly enough, Alexis never told Tonks who the Department Head was, and so Tonks could only hope they wouldn't discriminate against Remus and make him leave.<p>

"I shouldn't be here," said Remus.

"Remus, you're here anyways," said Tonks. "Besides, hopefully it'll be quick. If you're still uncomfortable, we can find Alexis and have her wait with you while Silvia and I speak with the Head. I don't want you going home alone and wallow in your thoughts." Tonks' voice was soft as she held onto his hand.

Finally, they reached the end of the hall where there stood a single black door and Silvia leaning beside it. When she saw them, Silvia perked up and smiled.

"Silv, what's the matter? Why aren't you in?" Tonks asked.

"It's this strange department," she replied. "They have a spinning door and I've gone through about five times already. They all lead me back out to here," Silvia sighed. "But Remus, do they still suspect you? What happened?"

"Kingsley took me up there and ironically, Umbridge came to watch the show," Tonks replied. "She and I argued, I nearly got in trouble for screaming at her, but Scrimgeour relented and assigned me to this case with you and Level Nine while Kingsley takes charge of the Bryce Murder Investigation. There was another man there who'd found Bryce's corpse but he left in a hurry and Kingsley suspects there's more to him."

Silvia nodded, showing her concern for her friend Remus Lupin through the gentle look in her eyes. "Tonks, who was the man who found Bryce's corpse?" she asked.

Before Tonks could answer, they all heard footsteps coming down the dark and eerie corridor. The footsteps clicked against the ground in a constant rhythm. Three sets of eyes turned to look down at the darkness and waited for a moment. Suddenly, they all drew a deep breath and sighed in relief when they saw Alexis walking towards them wearing a puzzled face.

"Lexi, I thought you'd be in there," said Tonks, pointing to the door.

"I had to speak with Fudge about digging up Crouch's grave and he agreed," she said, smirking as she held up a roll of signed parchment. "And I'm sorry I made you guys wait so long. We won't have to go inside, I've got everything I need for the case in this folder and at home," she continued, holding up a folder and flipping through it as she led them back down the echoing corridor.

"Wait a minute, Lexi, you're the head?" Tonks asked, utterly surprised.

"Yes," she replied. "I thought you knew."

"Strangely, you left this important detail out. I didn't know you were the head of the Department of Mysteries!"

"I told you a long time ago I got a promotion," Alexis chuckled, her eyes not leaving the folder and both Remus and Silvia noticed that she was troubled by something.

"Lexi, what are you looking at?" Silvia asked.

"A list of names involved with Crouch. Have any of you heard the name Rosier before?"

Silvia suddenly stopped walking, surprising Remus, Tonks, and Alexis. They all stopped and turned to face her, wondering what was wrong by the pale white face she suddenly had on. Tonks was concerned and went over to her, wondering what was wrong.

"Silv, are you alright?" she asked.

It took Silvia a moment to answer. "Y-yes," she replied. "I-uh, sorry, I just thought of something I once heard about Rosier b-but I forgot," she said in a shaky voice.

Alexis nodded and turned to Tonks and Remus. "Have you two ever heard of someone named Rosier?" she continued to ask.

"I remember the man who testified against me," said Remus in a gentle voice. "He was the one who'd discovered Frank Bryce's corpse in proximity of the Shrieking Shack."

"Ian Rosier," said Tonks.

The color was completely drained from Silvia's face upon the mentioning of Ian Rosier. No one had noticed Silvia acting this oddly except for Remus who suddenly found that name strangely familiar. He swore he'd heard it once before, and that polite but icy and sneering smile that Ian Rosier had on was familiar as well. Remus raided his memory, wondering why he couldn't remember where he'd heard of Ian Rosier or the name Rosier before.

"Ian Rosier," said Alexis, stepping into the lift. "He's not to be trusted."

"Yes…how are you so certain?" Silvia asked, following Tonks and Remus into the lift.

Alexis seemed to have something hard to say. "I-I can just tell," she replied.

"Ian Rosier is not to be trusted, got it," said Tonks, holding onto Remus' hand inside the lift. "Let's get home and check on Harry and Padfoot."

* * *

><p>"Wankers," Sirius grumbled.<p>

Immediately when they got to Tonks' apartment, Sirius had sat them down with plenty of questions about what was going on with the Ministry. He questioned them about the Death Eaters at the World Cup, and eventually found out about Remus being suspected for murder. Once Remus, Tonks, Alexis, and Silvia had finished explaining everything, the first thing Sirius did was go on a rant about how 'bloody useless' the entire Ministry was. It was an expected response from him.

Sitting there together in the living room lit up by a small fire in the fireplace, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Silvia, and Alexis each had a drink in hand. Right after he got home Sirius had sent Harry off to bed and sniffed out Alexis' hiding spot for her new stash of whiskey. He'd been depleting her stash for the past three hours and instead of yelling at him like she normally would have, Alexis hadn't said a word since.

"They're all a bunch of hypocrites," Sirius continued. "I can't believe you three work for them," he said, pointing to Tonks, Silvia, and Alexis. "This world's completely messed up. They can't automatically assume you've murdered someone just because you have a furry little problem once a month."

"Relax Sirius," said Remus, trying to appease his best friend. "At least they didn't arrest me and I'm still walking free." He smiled, but there was a depressing undertow in his words.

Sirius drained his glass empty, his eyes turning red from so much firewhiskey. The entire time he ranted, he'd noticed Silvia's silence and found it strange. Seeing that there was nothing more to say towards Remus and Tonks' situation, Sirius beckoned Silvia to follow him out to the balcony and together they stood there, speaking privately out in the fresh air. What they talked about, no one else but Sirius Black and Silvia White knew.

After another drink, Alexis too got up and headed back towards her room, still looking puzzled as something was hard on her mind. Tonks had wanted to ask, but she knew her cousin too well and knew that when Alexis was ready to tell, she would tell, otherwise, give her peace.

Eventually, it was just Remus and Tonks alone in the living room, sitting together in the dark grey sofa that was out of sight of the balcony.

"Do you want another glass Remus?" Tonks asked, raising her half empty glass.

Remus nodded, his eyes showing signs of weariness and a longing for a goodnight's sleep. "Dora, you shouldn't have done that," he said softly, suddenly.

She looked up, understanding his words but she chose to pretend like she didn't. "Do what? Tempt you to drink more whiskey?" she asked with a smirk dancing on her lips.

"Not this. I meant back at the Ministry. You didn't have to do that because of me."

Tonks shrugged, avoiding his eyes. "I got you to smile, didn't I?"

"You'll only make things difficult for yourself. Please Nymphadora, I don't want you to burden yourself because of me. I don't deserve it…" he sighed. "Though it was harsh, Umbridge was right in saying that someone like me doesn't deserve help from someone like you."

"Now don't you go and believe anything that pink toad says. She's judgmental, vile, and shameless. Don't take any of her words to heart."

"She was brutal…yes…but she spoke the truth…" His eyes turned dismal and bitter.

"Remus, she saw you as a beast. She doesn't know the real you and—"

"That's how everyone else sees me Dora," he cut in.

His blue eyes suddenly dropped all guards and Tonks could see straight into his withering and damaged soul. For most of his life, people have looked at him with such disdain through their judgmental mindset that Remus was truly convinced he didn't deserve any love or kindness.

"You noticed this too, when we were walking out of the auror department. Whenever people look at me, there are doubts, disgust, and disdain in their eyes. You can't blame them. I'm a werewolf after all. Werewolves…are dangerous. You shouldn't trouble yourself with one…with me any longer…I don't deserve any of it."

"Do you really think that?"

Remus grew quiet, speechless as he stared into her eyes.

"That's not what you think. That's what the world thinks. Please tell me it's not what you think. Remus, you, more than anybody, deserve a little care, a little affection, a little kindness, and a little love." Tonks paused. "Remus, it took so long for me to finally convince you to accept a little love. Don't push it away again, please."

He released a long sigh, his eyes showing sadness that never before had Tonks seen in him. Was this how Remus always truly feels, she wondered? Tonks' heart began to break into little pieces as she looked at him. He was truly a heartbroken man—he thought the world had turned its back on him. It didn't, Tonks knew it. Even if it did, she knew she never would.

"I'm a beast," he said weakly, running his hand through his hair as he downed his glass of whiskey, cringing as the aftertaste burned his throat.

"Remus," said Tonks, her voice soft like velvet and sounded like melody to his ears. She took his hand, her eyes gazing deeply into his with a love unspoken because she couldn't find the words to express it. "Have you ever heard the story of Beauty and the Beast?" she asked him softly and continued when he nodded—it was a classic fairy tale after all. "Belle fell in love with a beast, and she didn't care about what the world thought. The world knows nothing. She loves him because of who he is…in here." Tonks placed her fingertips gently on the skin of Remus' chest. She could feel his heart beating softly and steadily beneath the skin and bones. "You say you're a beast. I think you're a dream come true. Remus, don't let what the world thinks affect you. The world doesn't know that there is a beauty, a love unlike any other, behind this beast. Don't let them judge you."

"Dora…Beauty and the Beast is a fairy tale with a storybook ending. In life, we can't have those storybook endings. That's just how it is."

"I don't believe in storybook endings either," she said, conjuring up a neon pink flame in the palm of her hand. Tonks held it for a moment as the flame swayed side to side. Slowly it disappeared and her palm was plain again. "But we have magic. Surely we can work out some form of a good ending."

A small smile was slowly appearing on his lips. "The beast turns into a prince in the end with a large castle. I can't turn into a prince or magically create a castle."

Tonks laughed softly, placing her forehead on his as she closed her eyes for a moment. "I don't need a prince or a castle. I want a bookworm and a house full of books."

"Being with me makes you an outcast." His fingertips stroked the pale and soft skin of her face as he pulled a strand of bubblegum pink hair from covering her eyes.

"I don't care. For the hundredth time Remus, I don't care." They leaned on each other, staring into the deepest depths of their eyes and into their souls. "As long as you'll be an outcast with me, it won't be lonely," she smiled.

Finally, a full smile appeared on Remus' face. It was always Tonks who could make him smile whenever he felt down about himself. She was the only one who could bring a smile to him during his walks back to the darkness of his mind. Remus shifted closer to her, holding her tight. Holding her in his arms, the cursed young man slowly forgot about his furry little problem. With her in his arms, he felt like he had the world, and it was more than enough.

Very, very gently, they shared a quick kiss. They captured each other's lips for a few fleeting seconds, but that was enough for them. Remus shifted again so that Tonks could rest her head on his chest as they sat together on the sofa, eyes staring into the bright fire. The fire danced slowly, bringing warmth to them with each crackling timbers in the dancing flames.

* * *

><p>Replies:<p>

HPfollower101 - thank you, I hope you'll like this chapter as well!

RemusTonksFan - thank you, I added a little more of the plot and a little less Remus and Tonks in this chapter but I hope you'll still like it

TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish - I try to update weekly and it's become kind of a habit now haha. And yes, I love Remus and Tonks too, of course xD I'm sorry there's not as much Remus and Tonks moments in this chapter though

LoopyLuna13 - Thank you! Oh and about Narcissa...I'm going to start involving a lot of the Black Sisters in the following chapters. I've actually been planning this for a while but I just worry that it might be a little too much for this story, oh well, I like them so I'm going to try anyways. I hope you'll like it, thank you!

Professor Pang - thank you for reading! I try to update weekly xD

CallMeTony - I like putting my own twists into stories because I always wonder what would happen if this happened or that happened, etc, I hope you'll like it. And yes, I was really excited about including my subplot with the Black Sisters, I just hope it won't be too much for the story. And omg you caught on, Cissy doesn't know her brother is dead...I hope you'll like this chapter! xD

short and proud - thank you! xD I'm a freak actually, haha, I've been planning that twist for a while


	9. Morning after Night

**Author's Note:**

I don't feel confident about this chapter :( I guess for this chapter and the next, I'm trying to add a little fluff and normal conversations for personal development before things got really dramatic and intense.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 09 – Morning after Night<strong>

After the long night spent at the Ministry of Magic, everyone's internal time clock had been drastically thrown off. Outside, the sky was turning from pitch black to a lighter shade of blue. Morning was coming near and soon the sun would rise once again. Remus was lying on the dark gray sofa with Tonks in his arms. His eyes turned to the clock which read four in the morning. They'd been through an eventful night and at four in the morning, still none of them were asleep. Remus shifted and looked down at Tonks. Her twinkling dark eyes were still awake.

"Are you tired?" Remus asked her gently.

Tonks blinked slowly, trying to deny her weariness. "No, not really."

"Perhaps I should go home," he said.

"Don't, stay here," said Tonks, stifling a yawn.

"You won't be able to sleep."

"I can sleep just fine with you here," she smiled.

Remus looked at her. Usually, she was able to sleep perfectly fine with him around. However, after going through so much the night before, he knew that with him around she wouldn't be able to get any rest. Tonks kept thinking and worrying about him and in her worry no sleep would come to her.

"Get some sleep," he said softly, shifting to sit up. Tonks didn't resist and simply laid back on her sofa, watching and listening to him. "Get some sleep. I'll be over in the afternoon," he smiled, his voice soft like velvet. "Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight love," Tonks smiled, turning to her side as he headed towards the door.

The door to the balcony suddenly slid open. Sirius and Silvia walked in looking particularly tired and troubled. Silvia's chocolaty brown eyes looked red and she seemed as if she'd been crying. Sirius had one hand on her shoulder and he walked very close to her, his eyes down casted as he walked.

Seeing Silvia coming, Remus waited at the door for her. She smiled to him and headed out but he noticed that her smile never reached her eyes. After Silvia left, Remus turned around to see Tonks bouncing up to her feet in a sudden spurt of energy. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and whispered another 'goodnight' into his ear, stirring a smile from him before he left.

Finally, after lingering in Nymphadora Tonks' loving gaze for a while more, Remus left her flat and closed the burgundy red door behind him. He walked a short distance down the hall before arriving at the lift and meeting Silvia there. They stood waiting in silence for a moment. When the lift arrived, Remus and Silvia stepped in and finally began talking as if the privacy of their conversation in the lift was what they've been waiting for.

"I see you're no longer pushing away your feelings for Tonks," said Silvia, smiling, however her smile still never reached her eyes.

Remus smiled gently. "Sometimes I feel like I'm burdening her though," he admitted to the woman who'd been his longtime friend. "Tonight at the Ministry, the looks people usually gave me had transitioned over to Nymphadora as well. I feel—"

"You shouldn't blame yourself for other people's childish behavior," Silvia cut in. "Let me ask you something Remus; do you love Tonks?"

"Yes," he replied with sincerity.

"And she loves you. Simply, it's all that should matter."

Remus nodded again, thinking about her words. What Silvia said was no different from what many others would say, but she'd reminded him of the truth of his relationship with Tonks. She loves him, and he loves her, that was all that should matter. After a moment of thought, Remus' smile widened slightly and he rocked back and forth on his heels, waiting for the slow muggle elevator to move again.

"What about you?" Remus suddenly found himself asking. "Silvia, your eyes are red."

She suddenly seemed embarrassed and her eyes avoided his as she spoke. "Yeah, I-I just…it's hard to talk about," she replied.

"Was it what you and Sirius had been talking about earlier?" Remus asked, knowing that Silvia had been speaking with Sirius seconds ago.

"Yeah," she replied in a gentle, almost broken voice. "It was just something…from my past that I should have gotten over by now. Sirius was very understanding. You know, I wish I'd see that understanding and caring side of him more often."

Remus chuckled. "Don't we all," he replied. "But whatever it is Silvia, remember you still have us," he smiled. He'd gotten to know Silvia better over the past few months and had come to realize that she would tell them her problems in due time once she'd accepted them. There was no point in pushing her to tell, and Remus understood that.

"Thank you, Remus," said Silvia just as the elevator came to a stop and the sliding metal doors slid open. She bade Remus her goodnight and walked out, disapparating instantly once she reached the empty street. Remus looked on and wondered briefly on what was troubling Silvia from that night. Surely it was more than just his suspicion and Crouch Jr.'s reappearance.

* * *

><p>The cold morning air crept through her window and stroked her skin. It was five in the morning and the cold morning sun was just beginning to rise after such a long night—so long that it had felt like a year. Alexis tossed and turned in her bed, unable to fall asleep despite feeling worn out and tired. She sat up and ruffled her silky black hair as she drew a deep sigh. Dark brown almost black eyes looked around her organized but cluttered room filled with active magical instruments and metal workings from the Department of Mysteries. She sat there for a moment longer and being unable to fall asleep, Alexis got off her bed and made her way outside.<p>

She walked into the dark living room hoping to grab a drink. Expecting it to be empty, Alexis was startled when she spotted Sirius sitting there silently in the dark, a half empty glass of whiskey in his right hand and a half empty bottle in his other.

"I thought you'd gone to sleep right after Silvia left," Alexis said.

"I thought you'd gone to bed right after we finished talking," Sirius replied, not surprised that his cousin who apparently had gone to bed, was still attentive to things going on outside the walls of her quiet room.

"My minor case of insomnia is revisiting me again," Alexis replied.

"Well come then, join me for a little drink," said Sirius with a smirk as he summoned up another glass from the kitchen and poured her a full glass.

"Do you think these dark events are foreboding something?" Alexis asked.

Sirius took a quick sip of his whiskey. "Yes, and I'm not even going to bother denying it." He took another gulp and emptied his glass. "Harry's nightmares, the mentioning of the Riddle Mansion, and now this, these all cannot be simply coincidences." Sirius paused. "They are moving, I can just tell."

"Who are they?"

"_Death eaters_…Voldemort's followers from the First War."

Alexis nodded and stayed quiet for a while, staring at the whiskey inside her glass. "The war tore our family apart. Have you ever wondered what life would be like if our family had stayed together and made it through that war in one piece?"

"I have actually," Sirius admitted. "Our family was actively involved with not just the Death Eaters but Voldemort's inner circle as well. The Black family was a strong pillar in Voldemort's power." Sirius bit his lips, his eyes becoming thoughtful. "Had the Black family not been so obsessed and blinded by blood purity…" he suddenly paused, seeming to be thinking hard about a certain memory. "…you'd still have your parents…and two loving aunts."

"Narcissa and Bellatrix?" Alexis asked softly.

Sirius thought about the two women for a while and finally nodded. "You probably would never ever believe me, but at one point in time, Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, like your father and Andromeda, had been the closest people to me."

"I think I could believe that. But what happened though?"

"The war brought out the worst in everyone. We…grew apart and finally broke off. It may be hard to believe or even hear, but at one point in time, Bellatrix and Narcissa were like any other girls, loving, silly, and…well, _nice_."

"Bellatrix, nice," Alexis scoffed. "I can't imagine the mindless woman screaming in Azkaban being nice," she said, having never been able to forgive Bellatrix for what she did.

"People weren't born evil, Lexi," said Sirius. It was during those kinds of moments that really make Sirius seem like the older and more mature one.

"People aren't born evil, I get that. Let's talk about Narcissa then…do you think you can ever trust her again?"

It was quiet for a while as Sirius pondered deeply on this question. "Well, she'd never openly chosen a side," said Sirius thoughtfully. "Bellatrix had chosen to side with Voldemort but Narcissa had always remained an icy neutral party…"

"Do _you_ think she can be trusted?"

"Why?"

"I-I don't know, just a thought," Alexis replied and Sirius knew there was something that she was not telling him. Deciding not to probe on it since he knew his little cousin so well, Sirius didn't bother to ask why Alexis was suddenly thinking about Narcissa Malfoy.

He took a moment to think about the question. Before the darkness fell upon their world, Sirius had always thought he could trust Narcissa and Bellatrix. But then Bellatrix had done something that would make him never be able to look at her without disgust ever again. She'd murdered her own brother, Marcus Black, Alexis' father. After that sudden turn, Sirius could never see his crazy and goofy cousin Bella Black in the woman anymore. He could only see the monstrous and sadistic Bellatrix Lestrange, an angel of Lucifer's.

"I don't know, Lexi. After what Bellatrix did…I really don't know."

Alexis nodded once again and sat back, her eyes becoming distant and thoughtful. She mindlessly emptied her glass of whiskey and charmed the near empty bottle to pour her the last of its contents. She drew a long breath once she and Sirius had finished that bottle of whiskey.

"Sirius, one more question," Alexis said. She licked her lips and looked to him, searching his dark grey eyes for answers to questions she has not yet asked. "What's your impression of everyone still alive in our family?"

"Why, that's an interesting question," Sirius hiccupped, placing his glass down. "Andromeda is strict but loving and sometimes kind of scary," Sirius chuckled. "Tonks is stubborn but strong and still very colorful. You're witty and unpredictable but kind-hearted…" There was a long pause. "Narcissa is icy and cold but perhaps…no," Sirius shook his head with a dark chuckle. "And as for Bellatrix," there was yet another pause and looking deeply, Alexis could see the ghost of a memory flicker through Sirius' haunted grey eyes. "Bella Black is gone. Bellatrix Lestrange is a murderous raving lunatic," he laughed humorlessly.

* * *

><p>When Tonks woke up, the sun was already at its peak in the sky and was beating down upon her through her open window. It'd nearly blinded her when she opened her eyes. Tonks sat up, cringing under the brilliant sunlight and yawning from a restless night.<p>

"Bloody hell," Tonks grumbled while looking at the clock to see that it was almost noon.

She continued to grumble quietly to herself as she tossed her blanket aside and lazily dragged herself out of bed. Twinkling dark green eyes shifted to a gentle hazel brown as she looked at the mess that was her room. While making a mental note to herself to clean it sometime soon, Tonks maneuvered her way through her obstacle course of a floor and stumbled out into the hallway.

Instantly when Tonks stepped out, Tonks noticed that Alexis had surprisingly left the door to her room open. Tonks sighed and decided to reach in to close it—perhaps her cousin had been so knackered that she'd forgotten to close the door to her own room.

As Tonks reached inside, her eyes couldn't help but swiftly wander and notice something that caught her attention. Alexis had fallen asleep at her desk, her head lying flat on her black wooden desk while her arms hung limply at her side. Beside her head, Tonks could see a metal magical instrument hung up on a metal rack. It was still spinning and seemed to still be active or had been recently used. The item looked an awful lot like a Time Turner, only black with water instead of sand in the spinning hourglass.

"Odd," said Tonks, leaning back and closing the door. "Unspeakables," Tonks sighed.

"Morning Tonks," Harry said as he stepped out of the room he shared with Sirius.

"Wotcher Harry," said Tonks while yawning once again as she and Harry headed out into the living room. There they found Sirius, fast asleep and snoring loudly on the sofa with his mouth agape. Tonks shook her head and smirked. "Like a pig he is," she said.

"Blimey, Sirius is right, you _are_ mean to him," said Harry, shuffling into the kitchen as he joked around with Tonks. They both were searching for something to get their minds away from the troublesome events of the day before. "Do you think we should wake him?"

"No, let him sleep. I heard him talking with Lexi last night before bed…unfortunately I was too tired to remember what they were talking about," said Tonks.

"Say Tonks, what do you know about Voldemort and the last time he came into power?" Harry asked, feigning casualty as he cracked several eggs into the frying pan.

"Why so curious, Harry?" Tonks asked with a forced smile, worrying when Harry wanted to know more about Voldemort. "I was too little during the height of the war."

"But you're an auror, surely you _must_ know something," said Harry. It was now evident that Harry wanted to know more about Voldemort after what happened at the Quidditch World Cup. "Please Tonks. I just want peace of mind."

Sighing, Tonks placed her hands on Harry's shoulder and looked him in the eyes, meeting his pale green eyes with hers. "Worrying about Voldemort won't give you peace of mind Harry. Now you've only got a few more days left until school starts again. Best worry about buying your school supplies."

With a small smile, Tonks turned away from Harry and headed for the kitchen window. She was never good at acting like an older sister to Harry and she wished she'd done a better job at that moment. However, Harry had caught her off guard and she didn't quite know what to say to him, especially when she herself was also wondering about Voldemort and the last war.

Deciding she needed something to keep her thoughts away from all those thoughts about the Dark Lord rising to power, Tonks decided to check the mail. She went over to the window and picked up a particularly thick pile of letters. Tonks then began sorting them, realizing that she and Alexis both had a very large pile of letters. Her eyes were caught on one particular letter sent to Alexis that made Tonks wonder. It was a letter from George Weasley, sent to her cousin. Tonks wondered how come George often exchanged letters with Alexis but Marrick does not.

"Tonks, when you're done, can I see the Daily Prophet?" Harry asked from behind.

She glanced back. "Yes, of course," Tonks replied, reaching for the rolled up newspaper.

When she reached for the paper, Tonks couldn't help but glance at the headlines. She unrolled the paper and wasn't surprised when she saw many articles relating to the mayhem at the Ministry of Magic and the chaos at the Quidditch World Cup. Many witches and wizards were writing into complain and many more were writing in about paranoid thoughts. As she turned back around to hand the paper to Harry, Tonks' vivid green eyes spotted a particularly large black and bold headline of an interesting article. Her heart jumped, then stopped, and then raced to catch up on the missing beats. Suddenly Tonks felt lightheaded as she stared at the article which had nothing to do with the World Cup or the Ministry. It was about werewolves.

"Bloody hell," Tonks gasped, hungrily reading the article.

"What? What's wrong?" Harry asked, moving around her to read the paper.

**Such Irony: Hogwarts D.A.D.A. Professor a Werewolf?  
><strong>_By Rita Skeeter  
><em>_A school unlike any other, it is rather peculiar that the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would allow a werewolf into its ranking of highly-skilled professors. What's more ironic is that the werewolf or dark creature in the eyes of many, has been teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts ever since the 1993 school year…_

"Blimey," Harry and Tonks said together.

"Rita Skeeter wrote it," Harry pointed out. "Blimey Tonks, Remus is going to have a lot of problems coming up!"

"No, I'm more worried about his selfless nature," said Tonks, tossing the paper aside as she raced towards the living room to throw a pillow cushion at Sirius. "Sirius wake up!" she snapped. "Wake up!"

Sirius snorted and shot awake, startled as if thunder has struck right on top of him. He looked around with clueless, wandering eyes. "What the hell?"

"Sirius, the Daily Prophet has revealed to the world that Remus is a werewolf teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Tonks hastily. She rushed back into her room to grab her jacket and wand while Sirius rubbed his eyes and read the newspaper Harry handed to him.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius yelled and Tonks could hear Alexis falling off her desk and waking up inside her room. "This is an atrocity I tell you! What the bloody hell does the Daily Prophet think it's doing? These people must be a bunch of mindless, soul-less, cross-grind wankers! What? Have they run out of news?" Sirius ranted.

"What's going to happen to Remus?" Harry asked worriedly.

"We don't know Harry," Tonks replied. "Sirius, contact Dumbledore and the stupid Prophet. I'm going to run over to Remus'…unless you want to follow."

Sirius huffed and tossed the paper down to the ground in a crumpled heap of paper. "No, you should go. I'll contact Dumbledore and those cocked-up devils."

"What's going on?" Harry asked, pleading for some kind of answer.

"Think about it Harry," said Tonks as she hurriedly slipped on her boots at the door. "People are prejudice against werewolves. With people finding out that Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is a werewolf, there will be nothing short of madness," she sighed and bolted out the door, slamming the burgundy red door behind her like a crack of thunder.

* * *

><p><em>Crack!<em>

Tonks stumbled out of the narrow alley, grumbling to herself as she tucked her wand back into her pocket, thankful that she had narrowly avoiding apparating herself right into a wall. She quickly climbed up the stone steps two at a time and pushed herself into the small apartment building where Remus' flat was. She threw herself in between the closing metal doors of the elevator, effectively startling the three muggles in there. While inside, Tonks was cursing to herself and wondered why muggle lifts were so slow. She could feel the judgmental eyes of the three muggles staring her down from behind, but in her hurry Tonks could care less.

Once the lift arrived upon the fourth floor, Tonks charged out before the metal doors even opened fully. She raced down the hallway and nearly slipped as she stopped at Remus' apartment. Tonks had to remind herself not to bang on his door and with all the self-control she could muster, knocked three times on his wooden brown door.

There was some noises and ruffling inside. Tonks bounced on her feet, forcing her worry from bursting out of her. Finally, Remus opened the door and Tonks' vivid green eyes met his gentle blue ones. Remus looked weary and tired. His light brown hair had specks of grey in it, as if it'd appeared there overnight. He was pallid and lankier than ever before. Tonks could tell that he was troubled and was trying very hard to hide it.

"Remus," she said.

"Hello Nymphadora," he smiled and although his smile was genuine, it didn't reach his eyes. "I wasn't expecting you so soon. Sorry, come in," he said. "My flat is kind of messy though." He moved to the side as she came in.

When Tonks stepped inside, Tonks saw that an owl had just flown away from the windowsill in a fluttering of wings. She looked at the Daily Prophet which lay open on the small kitchen counter. Beside it sat a small stack of empty parchment and a quill dripping with ink. Tonks immediately turned back to Remus.

"You've seen the news."

He walked over to her, his casualness seeming only to be an act. "I have seen the news, yes," he replied softly, standing close to her. "And I've sent a letter to Dumbledore about my resignation," he informed her with a somber undertone.

Tonks turned around quickly. "What?" she replied. "Resignation? Remus, why did you have to resign from your post?"

Remus ran a boney and heavily scarred hand through his light brown hair as he answered her question. "It's simple, Nymphadora. Very soon, parents of all my students will be sending in letters requesting reasons why Dumbledore would be willing to hire someone like me, a werewolf, as a professor and let me near their children. It would be too much trouble for Dumbledore to convince them that I am trustworthy…and so resigning is my only way out."

"But Remus…"

"There's nothing anyone can do, love," said Remus, taking her hands.

"Remus you have to reconsider. You love that job," she said.

"Dumbledore has enough to deal with. I am already grateful to him for giving me that job for a year and allowing me to meet you, Alexis, and Harry and reconcile with Silvia and especially Sirius again."

Tonks sighed and stood closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist as he held her close. She knew that he'd already sent the owl and there was no convincing Remus out of it. It saddened her however, because she could see the sadness hiding in his eyes. Remus loved his job as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. It was a shame for the post to be taken away from such a suitable teacher.

"There, there love, it's only a job," said Remus, comforting Tonks and himself.

For a while, Tonks was quiet. When she spoke again, her voice was soft and comforting, easing his heart as if it'd been wrapped in velvet and satin cloth. "One day, you won't ever have to worry about your lycanthropy holding you back from anything," said Tonks. Inside her mind, she was searching for ways where she could help him—change the legislations.

"One day," Remus agreed. "The only thing I'm worried about right now is what I will do when the next full moon rises," he confessed in a soft voice. Remus looked down to see her worrying eyes looking up at him. He sighed. "Without my post as a Hogwarts professor, I will no longer have access to the wolfsbane potion."

Endless worry dripped from Tonks' gaze as she looked at him. "What are we going to do?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Not we, I," Remus corrected her. "Love, I would be mad to let you join me on a full moon without the wolfsbane potion."

"Remus, you won't hurt me, I just know it."

"I _will_ hurt you. Without the potion, when I transform I will have no control."

"I'm an auror, give me some credit."

"It is _dangerous_," he said, gazing deeply into her worried eyes.

Tonks was prepared to argue with him until he agreed to let her help him with the upcoming full moon; however, she realized that starting an argument with him would not be wise and instead she should be comforting him. She huffed and rested her head on his shoulder, holding him closer. She wished to make him feel better, but Tonks did not know how. The only thing she knew to do was to hold him and reassure him that no matter what, she was still there.

* * *

><p>As she followed behind her raven-haired cousin and chocolate brown-haired friend, Tonks' eyes wandered around the massive and dead piece of rock they were on. Azkaban prison was a fortress situated right on top of an unsinkable and unplottable upon a random rock in the middle of the ocean. Black hooded dementors, the very tangible symbol of depression, loomed all around the prison. As Tonks walked up closer to it, she could feel her happiness and hope slip right out from her heart.<p>

"I think we should summon our patronuses now," Silvia said as dementors spotted them and began looming down, hungry for a happy soul.

"_Expecto Patronum_," the three witches said together, conjuring up three silvery, ethereal animals. Tonks' patronus was a ferret, Alexis a swallow, and Silvia's a shaggy German shepherd. Their patronuses flitted and danced around them, warding off the dementors who seemed angry being unable to touch the three visitors.

"If you don't think about anything happy, overall you're good to go," Alexis said.

"Worrying is not a happy thought," said Tonks, her mind preoccupied by Remus Lupin.

"Remus…will be alright," Silvia assured Tonks. "He's dealt with these kinds of things before. Tonks, have some faith in his strength to cope."

"I can't help but worry, you know?" said Tonks. "He seemed so sad but he's hiding it."

"There's nothing anyone can do, Tonks. Sirius already yelled and screamed his lungs out at the Daily Prophet and Remus already resigned from his post. The best thing to do right now is to just be there and support him," Alexis said, trying to comfort her cousin.

"Trust in Remus," said Silvia once again. "To him, this is just a minor bump in the road."

Tonks sighed. "I hope so."

"Come on then, we have to get to work," Alexis said, treading closer to Azkaban prison where the rocks below them turned into a mixture of dirt and rocks.

"Where are the graves?" Silvia asked Alexis who seemed to know what she was doing.

Alexis had successfully convinced Fudge to permit them to dig up Bartemius Crouch Jr.'s grave to aid their search for him. If his corpse was still in his grave, then obviously they have an imposter on the loose. Silvia and Tonks, being the two aurors on the case working alongside the Unspeakables, had followed Alexis that day to help her dig up the casket.

"Right here, beside the prison walls," said Alexis, approaching a nearly invisible grave with an old, faded tombstone which looked like a large, flat rock the dementors had carelessly erected to mark the grave.

"This place is so bloody cheerful," said Tonks sarcastically. She shivered under her jacket as she convinced herself that she could not hear the insane screams of the mental prisoners inside those concrete walls.

"Here it is," Alexis sighed, looking down at the faded grave.

"Come on then," Silvia beckoned. "We start digging."

Three shovels appeared out of thin air, seeming like they've been magically formed by Silvia who was just tucking her wand away. The three women began digging a ditch over the old and forgotten grave while fighting away the feeling of dread that was creeping up on them. Their silvery patronuses danced around them without care and frolicked as if to mock the dementors.

After a long time, the ditch was finally six feet into the ground and Tonks' shovel clanked against the old, moss eaten wood of the casket. With dirt marred faces, she, Alexis, and Silvia levitated the casket out of its place and onto the rocky ground right above the grave. They had to brush away several large and jagged rocks that sat on top of the casket, dropping the rocks onto the pile of dirt and rocks below their feet. They then stood there, breathing deeply while staring at the filthy, dark brown casket, decomposed by the sea.

"That's filthy!" said Tonks, wondering if she'd puke once the casket was opened.

"Here goes nothing," Silvia sighed as she approached the casket, about to open it.

Quite unexpectedly, Silvia was knocked off her feet by a cloud of black smoke—someone's half-apparition form. The puff of black smoke grabbed the casket and made haste for the other end of the island with the three women close on its trail. Silvia had quickly gotten back up on her feet and along with Tonks and Alexis, chased after the black figure to get the casket back. They collapsed into half-apparition forms themselves, three glowing clouds of silvery white smoke, and followed the intruder. As she soared through the air, Tonks noticed that unlike her, Silvia, and Alexis, this intruder did not have a patronus floating about him. Dementors were looming in on him and the few who were fast enough had been able to quickly feed upon this person. It was then that Tonks realized whoever this intruder was, he or she was not someone trustworthy. The intruder was a foe to them.

The black and white clouds of smoke collapsed into forms of three witches and a wizard. Tonks could see that they were now chasing after a man dressed in all black with his hood hiding his identity. He had a bulky build but it didn't slow him down even while he was carrying the disgusting wooden casket.

"He's heading towards the cliff!" Silvia cried, trying to run faster.

"I got him!" Tonks yelled.

She lunged and jumped after the mysterious black figure, flying off of the cliff. Her eyes widened when she realized what she'd done and Tonks watched as the black hooded figure disapparated right in front of her. Her hands gripped the air and she blinked once, disappointed. Tonks then began falling and she looked down in that half-second. She was falling into the ocean with the angry and crashing waves below.

A beat.

Her witty cousin's hand suddenly grabbed for hers and Tonks could feel herself being yanked out of the air. She fell from her flight and landed on the rough and jagged rocks, breathing deeply as he racing heart recovered from the scare. Tonks looked up to see Silvia and Alexis on the ground, breathing heavily and like hers, they had scratches that were bleeding from falling and sliding on the rocks.

"Bloody hell! What were you thinking?" Alexis yelled, letting go of Tonks' hand.

"I was just trying to catch him," said Tonks, pushing herself up and helping Silvia who had held onto Alexis while pulling Tonks back.

"Well don't go throwing away your life in the chase!" Alexis breathed, placing a hand over a bleeding cut on her elbow.

"Tonks, be careful next time. Are you alright?" Silvia asked and Tonks nodded. "Bugger, now we've lost the casket."

"Who'd you think it was?" Alexis asked Tonks who came the closest to the intruder.

"I don't know. I didn't see his face," said Tonks quietly. Irritated, Tonks stopped her foot on the ground and began pacing. "Bugger it all. What do we do now?"

Alexis sat down on the rocks, looking around while Silvia began pacing as well, her eyes searching for clues, anything to guide them. Tonks was busy cursing inside her mind, cursing at the earth and the sky. She wondered why an intruder had appeared all of a sudden and wondered who it had been. Whoever it was, the person had to be very large and bulky but strong and agile.

"Wait a minute," said Alexis whose eye for details suddenly occurred to Tonks. "What's this?" she asked, crawling on her knees towards the edge of the cliff where she picked up a few small splinters of wood lying upon the rocks.

"It's wood," said Silvia. "But it's different."

"How?" Tonks asked, crawling over to look at their discovery along with Alexis and Silvia. "It might be wood from the casket."

"No," Silvia said, picking up a large piece in Alexis' palm. "The wood from the casket was wet and decomposed along with whatever was inside it. This piece of wood is lighter, see?" she said, showing it to Tonks. "It's also newer and drier."

Tonks looked around the forsaken rock they were on. "There's not a tree in sight. It must be from the intruder," she said.

"What now?" Silvia asked, looking up at the two girls.

"We take it back to Fudge and get him to do something about this intruder," said Tonks.

"But this is Fudge, he won't bother with something like this so easily," Silvia said.

"Marrick," Alexis said suddenly. "He could help us convince Fudge. Fudge trusts him more than any of us…"

"And not to mention he likes the bloke more than any of us," Tonks added. "But the intruder, did you notice that he couldn't summon a patronus? Why would he allow the dementors to get near him otherwise?"

"Maybe he didn't want to reveal his identity through his patronus," Silvia suggested.

"Still, either way, we could guess that whoever stole the casket was not someone trustworthy. If Crouch Jr. had been a Death Eater before, whoever that intruder was would most likely be a Death Eater. He wouldn't want Crouch's little mendacity foiled by us discovering whatever was inside that casket."

"If he's a Death Eater…then we should probably look back in the Riddle Mansion," Tonks suggested. "It's the only Death Eater headquarters we've recently had news about."

"We should all look there soon," said Silvia.

"After we send the kids back to school," said Tonks. "Perhaps Remus or Sirius could help us too as they both had been in the last war and knew more about the Death Eaters," she added and Silvia and Alexis both nodded their heads in agreement.

* * *

><p>RemusTonksFan: I want to put more Remus and Tonks moments too but I want to build up the plot so that when the time comes for the big moment…o.o…it will make sense. And yeah, I sort of imagined how Umbridge would react when she saw Remus, god I feel bad for him . Also, I was watching The Beauty and the Beast while writing that chapter. And thank you for reading xD Also, I'm glad all my characters seem alright to you.<p>

CallMeTony: I always had the impression that Narcissa is just putting up an icy mask to keep people out, kind of like trust issues which is quite understandable seeing that Bellatrix horrifies her and Andromeda makes her feel guilty. How do you feel? Haha, I'm glad you like her though.

LoopyLuna13: haha, when I was watching Order of the Phoenix, I wanted to climb into the screen and slap her silly!

TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish: Thank you! xD I find Umbridge really easy to write, strangely haha, and thank you, I'm glad you liked that chapter xD

ajlover: Thank you so much for reading! I'm glad my additional characters don't seem strange or out of place, I was really worried about that. I'm glad you like it, thank you!

short and proud: Thank you, I tried really hard to write her properly. And in reply to your P.S., I know planning makes one a good writer, but then whenever I plan, I screw it up! Lol, it's terrible! Haha, I'm complaining to you, sorry. Thank you for reading!


	10. Life Goes On, With and Without

**Author's Note:**

I've finally started working again! I make pretzels for gas money now haha. I'm pretty sure I'll still have time to write though so my future updates won't be affected. But if it is, at least I now have an excuse. Anyways, I hope you like! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10 – Life Goes On, With and Without<strong>

Throughout her entire life, her preference and love for color had always made professional, monochrome offices seem deathly boring. It eluded Tonks how she ended up working in an office building. Yes, the auror department was simply a farm of cubicles in a large and elegant office building that was the Ministry of Magic.

Her twinkling dark green eyes wandered from folder to folder stacked full on Cornelius Fudge's shelves. She then turned back to the Minister who was still pacing around his room, doing the same thing he'd been doing for the past fifteen minutes. Tonks sighed and rolled her eyes as she turned to see her cousin Alexis, resting her chin on her hand, seemingly asleep.

Discreetly, Tonks nudged Alexis and she snapped awake, looking around, alarmed. When her raven-haired cousin realized that Fudge has yet given them an answer to their request, she drew a long sight much like Tonks had earlier and leaned back on the desk.

Yesterday, Tonks, Alexis, and Silvia had gone to dig up Bartemius Crouch Jr.'s grave in hopes of finding the motive to his return and whether the Crouch Jr. running around was an imposter or not. Before they could open the casket however, a black hooded figure came and stole it from them. That was the reason why Alexis and Tonks were there. They needed Fudge's instructions and decision on what to do.

"This is bloody ridiculous," Tonks sighed, speaking so quietly that only Alexis could hear. "How much longer is he going to take?"

"Do you have any idea who this black hooded figure may be, Alexis and Miss Tonks?" Fudge asked, glancing back at them as he continued pacing up a storm.

"No sir," Tonks replied as Alexis yawned. "We never saw his face however we did find wooden splinters that belonged to him."

Fudge scratched his chin, feigning a look of curiosity and thoughtfulness. "Interesting," said Fudge in a drawn out manner. "How important is this casket to your case?"

"What do you mean sir? We just need you to allow us to search for whoever stole it and take it back," said Tonks dryly.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that, Miss Tonks. I hope you'll understand. The auror department is already overworked as it is and we have no one else who could aid you in this case. We need you to find Crouch Jr.'s location as soon as possible."

"But sir," Tonks began. "We need the casket to…"

Alexis suddenly held a hand out and pulled her advancing cousin back, effectively silencing Tonks with her gentle tug. "Minister, if we can't recover the stolen casket because of low manpower, can Tonks, Silvia and I search the Riddle Mansion instead?"

It was evident that Fudge had suddenly tensed upon the mentioning of the Riddle Mansion. His pacing came to an abrupt stop and he turned back to look at Alexis with wide, truly curious eyes. For a moment Fudge was struck with silence.

"S-search the mansion?" Fudge asked in a low voice.

"Yes sir," Alexis replied.

"Why?"

Tonks huffed, fed up with her daft dumbo of a Minister. "Sir, Bartemius Crouch Jr. is closely related to Death Eaters and at the current moment, the biggest thing relating to You-Know-Who and Death Eaters is the Riddle Mansion. If we don't look there, where else should we look and how do you expect us to find him?" Tonks replied in a disrespectful tone.

Cornelius Fudge bit his lips and looked down, thinking hard.

"Minister, you're cutting off all of our leads. How will we find Crouch Jr. without any lead to follow?" Alexis reasoned, straining to keep her tone level and cordial, unlike Tonks.

"That mansion is filled with dark magic and more dangers," Fudge said quietly.

"We have two aurors and an Unspeakable on this mission," said Tonks, truly wanting to smack her Minister upside the head and hopefully knock some sense into him.

It took Fudge a while longer until he finally came to a decision. Fudge drew a brief sigh and looked up at the two girls, his eyes mainly targeting Alexis who he always thought had the ability to keep Nymphadora Tonks reigned in if need be. Cornelius Fudge spoke in a low tone, barely moving his lips as if to show that everything from then forward was just between them and Silvia and no one else.

"I will allow the mansion open for you and your access only, no one else," he said.

Tonks and Alexis nodded eagerly. Both were glad that at least Fudge was finally doing something. "Yes sir," said Tonks.

"Contact Alastor Moody to open it for you for he was the one who had sealed it in the first place." With Fudge's last word, he turned away from them and returned to his desk. It was a silent understanding to both girls that their business with Fudge was now done and together, they quickly but quietly headed for the door, quick to get out of Fudge's mundane office.

"Moody again," said Tonks, walking with her cousin down the long and elegant high-ceiling corridor lined with white marble walls. "Why does everything lately relate back to Moody?" she wondered, voicing her thoughts aloud.

"I don't know cuz, but at least we can have a look through that bloody mansion now," Alexis said, walking quickly as if they were in a hurry to get somewhere.

"We have to tell Silvia and find a date where we all could go along with Mad-Eye."

"To find Silv, I guess we're going home then," Alexis replied.

"Why is that?"

"My god Tonks, you're too preoccupied with Remus lately, you don't even pay attention to what's going on in your own house," Alexis teased gently. "Silv's over today to help Harry pack up and leave for King's Cross station in a few hours," she explained gesturing towards the light from outside the window they'd just passed by.

Tonks glanced outside, looking at the brilliant morning sun that was still rising from the dark horizon. She'd been so drowned in thoughts of Remus Lupin and her work, Tonks had completely lost track of time. It was then that she realized it was only morning—a night had gone by and a new day had dawned without her even realizing it.

"Good morning to Nymphadora," Alexis continued to tease.

"Oh stop it," said Tonks, pushing her cousin playfully. "I've just been rather busy."

"Well make no plans for today because you promised Harry you'd see him off to the Hogwarts Express. Silv's also over to help Sirius get ready for his first day of work so…"

"First day of work?" Tonks asked, utterly surprised. "When did this come up?"

"A while ago actually, even before we went to the Quidditch World Cup," Alexis replied. "My god Tonks, I know you're smitten by Remus and all but please keep in mind you still have a few cousins and other family members that would love some attention too."

Tonks chuckled and playfully pushed her cousin again. "Shut it," she laughed. "What will you be doing then? Don't you have work right now? Why are you walking with me?"

"I promised George I'd see him and the others off today, and I have something I need to give to the twins," Alexis answered.

"Since when did you become so caring?"

"Since I was bloody born," Alexis huffed, pretending to be irritated at her cousin.

* * *

><p>The flat behind the burgundy red door on the fifth floor of Number 563 Long Street, London was usually quiet although pulsing with magical energy. However, on that bright and early summer morning, the flat bustled with so much noise that the muggle neighbors of the flat's residents had complained twice. Inside, a special morning ritual which happened once every year was taking place.<p>

Sirius was inside the bathroom, calling out reminders to his godson, Harry Potter, the boy who lived, as Harry prepared to go off to King's Cross and Platform 9 ¾ that morning and board the Hogwarts Express. It was a particularly busy morning since not only was it Harry's return to the beloved Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, ironically it was also Sirius' first day at work. Both godfather and godson were nervous beyond their wits and even with Silvia White, Sirius' very close friend, there to help them out; they were still caught up in a frenzy.

"Harry, don't forget your broom!" Sirius called out from inside the bathroom, his booming voice only slightly muffled by the wooden door.

"I won't, I'm packing it right now!" Harry called back to his godfather while rounding the long grey sofa and placing his coveted broomstick, The Firebolt, beside his open and messy trunk that looked at lot more like the aftermath of a warzone than a school trunk.

"Harry, you almost forgot your schoolbooks," Silvia said in a gentle, almost motherly voice as she handed him a large set of hardcover textbooks.

"Thanks, Silvia," Harry smiled, having grown quite fond of the still young and darkly beautiful auror that he felt so comfortable around. "Say, will you come along with Sirius to visit me during Hogsmeade weekend?" Harry asked.

Silvia smiled genuinely. "I promise to make time," she replied.

"And get Lexi and Tonks to come too. I'm going to miss them," said Harry, looking around the comfortable and homely flat that had become his home over the short summer. He had family there—although they weren't related to him by blood, the care and affection they have for him was more than enough proof of family.

"Oh they'll surely come. Those two girls love shopping around in Hogsmeade more than anything," Silvia chuckled, knowing her friends too well.

"Silvia! Call a cab that will take us to King's Cross!" Sirius yelled again from inside the bathroom. "Bloody hell!" he suddenly cursed.

"All right in there?" Silvia called, turning to Harry as they both wondered what in the world was taking Sirius Black so long in the bathroom.

"Silvia, will you keep me informed of anything relating to Voldemort at the Ministry?" Harry asked suddenly with slight hesitation in his voice.

"Harry dear, don't you think you're much too young to be worrying about all these problems? Voldemort is the Ministry of Magic's problem, not yours—"

"But what happened at the World Cup…I can't help but worry. I asked Lexi and Tonks to keep me informed but they both refused me as well, saying that I shouldn't be worrying about it. Please Silvia. This is just for my reassurance only."

Although she was an auror, Silvia was never a relentless person. Her chocolaty brown eyes were soft and sympathetic as she looked at Harry. Soon after, Silvia let out a small and quiet sigh. Her shoulders visibly slouched and she nodded, agreeing to his request.

"I will write you if there's any news," she promised. "But," she added, putting up a request of her own. "I will only do it if you keep your grades up and _not_—I repeat, _not_, get into any sort of mischief at school."

It almost seemed as if Silvia was a mother and she was lecturing her own child about behaving properly while at school and keeping himself out of mischief. She knew that like his father and godfather and most of the people he'd been around, Harry was prone to mischief. She only hoped that trouble wouldn't find him as much this year like it had in the past three.

Upon hearing her seemingly simple request, Harry nodded immediately and grinned. "Thanks Silvia," he replied.

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Let's not talk about that anymore less Padfoot comes out screaming like the obsessively overprotective godfather that he is," she joked kindly. "Now, who else will be coming to see you children off?" she asked, referring to him and his friends.

"Just us and the Weasleys," Harry replied.

"That's still a rather large crowd," said Silvia. "Remus will be coming too, I heard."

"Why can't Remus stay as our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" Harry asked.

Silvia shrugged.

Before she could open her mouth and say any more words to Harry, the door to the bathroom suddenly opened in an extravagant surprise, causing a loud slam to echo through the flat. From inside the bathroom, Sirius Black strutted out with his chin held high and an odd but familiar little smirk upon his face.

It took Silvia a moment to see but she finally realized that there was something different about him. Another moment and she saw that Sirius had shaven and trimmed his moustache and beard. It was now a nicely trimmed moustache and goatee, small and subtle but successfully emphasizing his darkly handsome looks. She couldn't deny that Sirius Black was a handsome man. Silvia continued to look at him for a moment longer, taking in the sight of the man whom she once had been completely in love with.

Sirius was definitely a good looking bloke in her eyes. He was relatively tall, and there was a rebellious, mischievous aura to him that seemed to attract girls closer to him. A smile formed upon Silvia's lips, seeing that the lanky, defeated, and haunted ex-prisoner from months back had finally returned to his old, lively, and darkly handsome self.

"My god, Sirius," Silvia smiled.

"Blimey!" Harry laughed, still amazed that most of his godfather's facial hair had been willingly shaved off and not forcefully cleaned by Alexis or Tonks. "Where'd it all go?" he asked in a loud, surprised voice.

"Hey, don't you dare start with me, Potter," said Sirius with a joking tone. He then turned to Silvia and grinned. "How do I look?" he asked.

Silvia was caught speechless for a moment. "Brilliant," she finally said, however, it wasn't what she'd wanted to say at all.

Sirius' grin seemed to have fallen slightly but it was not obvious. He sighed. "Alright, it's almost time. We better go or we'll be late. Off we go," he smiled and gestured for Harry to close his messy trunk while he walked up to stand beside Silvia, their shoulders touching slightly. "You say Remus is coming?" Sirius asked her in a lower, less audible voice.

She nodded. "Tonks told me he was coming to see Harry and the other children off."

"Foolish Moony, he's just making things harder for himself," said Sirius, knowing that his long time best friend, almost brother, simply wanted to see the Hogwarts Express in all its scarlet glory once again.

* * *

><p>When Tonks and Alexis arrived at King's Cross Station right after leaving the Ministry of Magic, they were overwhelmed by packs of muggles and witches and wizards alike. While the muggles were oblivious to the magical people surrounding them wearing their muggle-best attire and trying to blend in, witches and wizards were discreetly passing through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾. Like it was every other year on September 1st, King's Cross Station and Platform 9 ¾ bustled with activity and people.<p>

Tonks stood on her tiptoes and looked around, searching for a familiar face amongst the massive crowd. She drew a sigh and dropped down, leaning back on the brick wall that stood opposite the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Tonks then turned to her raven-haired cousin and shook her head, huffing once more.

"I don't see them anywhere," Tonks said.

"Great, I bet you Sirius is late. Hopefully we won't have to find an alternative to get Harry back to school this year."

"But I don't see the Weasleys anywhere either," said Tonks, watching as a small family of wizards passed through the barrier all at once.

"They've probably already passed through," Alexis said. "It's already ten-thirty you know. Molly and Arthur wouldn't want to come too late since they have four kids going."

"That's quite true," Tonks nodded. "But my god, what is taking Harry and Padfoot so long? I thought with Silvia with them, they'd move a little faster."

Alexis shrugged as she continued watching the muggles and magical folks pass to and from before her. With nothing else to do, Tonks followed her cousin and leaned back on the brick wall, watching. As she watched, she wondered where Remus was. He said that he'd definitely be there to see Harry and the kids off and gaze at the Hogwarts Express once more. Her eyes searched the crowd and she still did not find him. After a while, Tonks gave up her search and returned to simply watching the crowd.

She could never understand how her cousin could be content with watching the world pass her by. Tonks had always been an engaging person and being a spectator of life was never her thing, unlike her cousin Alexis. As she stood there and watched, Tonks couldn't help but complain and whine constantly inside her mind. Her complaints and growing irritation came to a sudden halt however when her twinkling green eyes suddenly spotted a small family heading towards the barrier.

The family was an odd family and Tonks could tell by simply looking at them. It wasn't a bad kind of odd as the family of three seemed loving and close to each other. The woman had her hand on her young son's shoulder, speaking words of comfort to him—perhaps it was his first year at Hogwarts. The husband was significantly older than her, but they were a loving couple nonetheless. The young boy with a childish grin looked like a perfect mixture between both his parents, reflecting them like a crystal clear mirror. The woman had a young and playful look upon her face while the husband appeared more passive and gentle. It was strange; looking at this family, the husband and wife especially, reminded Tonks of her relationship with Remus. She wondered if he and she would ever make it that far.

"Strange," Tonks mused aloud right after the family passed through the barrier together.

Alexis had noticed and like always, caught on quickly. "I wonder what Remus would think if he saw that," she said.

"He'd point out all the differences between us and them and bring up his lycanthropy," said Tonks casually, knowing Remus' worrying and selfless nature all too well. "But then I'd shoot all his doubts and worries down and reassure him that maybe someday we could be like that," Tonks grinned. Her eyes were fixated upon the barrier where the family had just disappeared through moments earlier.

"Speak of the devil," Alexis said suddenly. "Here comes your noble Marauder now."

Tonks looked up and instantly she found Remus' gentle smile amidst the crowd of people. He was walking towards them from down the station, easily weaving his way around groups of people as he went. His eyes greeted Alexis gently and they became fixated on Tonks. Looking at her, he seemed to have made her his goal.

It took Remus a moment but he finally made his way over to his pink-haired lover. Tonks suddenly felt the need to get closer to him and so she held his hands and made her way into his arms, sprinkling an infinitesimally small piece of her love onto him. She couldn't explain why, but she suddenly wanted to feel the warmth of being close to him.

"Hello Nymphadora," Remus smiled with a pleasantly surprised tone in his voice.

"Wotcher love," said Tonks, sighing, reveling in his scent.

"Is everything alright?" Remus asked, returning her loving embrace with a genuine one of his own. He didn't know why Tonks was suddenly so open with her feelings. Usually, she was more reserved and guarded, but he didn't mind it at all. Instead, Remus basked in the feeling of being loved especially by such a wonderful woman.

"Everything's fine," said Tonks, ignoring all the troubles weighing down her mind from hours ago. "Does a woman need an excuse to hold her lover?" she asked.

"No, not at all," Remus replied, smiling.

Remus suddenly chuckled for it was then that he'd noticed Alexis slowly ebbing her way away from the loving couple. She was teasing them—gagging at their romantic gestures. It seemed that to Alexis, Remus and Tonks were being so romantic it was sickening to watch.

After a while, Tonks pulled apart and just then, they all spotted Sirius, Harry, and Silvia rushing towards them with a filled up trolley and exasperated looks upon their faces. Sensing the suddenly less private and intimate atmosphere, Remus and Tonks pulled away gradually to the point where they were just simply holding hands.

"Thank merlin you came," Alexis said to the three. "It was starting to get so awkward for me!" she stressed, stirring a laugh from Silvia who understood what she meant immediately with only one glance at Remus and Tonks. "Blimey, it's sickening to watch!"

"What is?" Sirius asked while drawing deep breaths after his run.

"Nothing," Tonks replied quickly, embarrassed.

"Glad you could make it Moony," Sirius said. "I thought you'd be locked up in your flat, too upset to leave," he teased, comfortably resorting to his dark humor with Remus.

"No, I needed more room to weep so I decided to come out here," Remus replied with an easy smile, having always been used to Sirius' teasing of him—they were like brothers after all.

"Remus, why can't you be our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor again?" Harry asked, not willing to let go of the matter like the rest of the adults had.

"I can't Harry, I'm sorry," Remus replied, trying to hide his sadness of not returning.

Harry sighed.

Seeing Remus' discreet denial of his sorrows, Tonks placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and quickly changed the topic of conversation. "What took you guys so long? We all got here before you!" she said.

"Sirius here, caused a scene with an old woman counting her change while getting into a cab right when we were heading here," Silvia explained.

"She should have already had her bloody coins counted _before_ she got off the cab. Other people, like us, might be in a hurry and can't waste time waiting for her!" Sirius defended.

"Sirius, she was at least eighty," Harry told him. "Let it go."

Sirius huffed while Silvia and Harry shook their heads and sighed.

"Paddy, don't you start your first day of work at a café today?" Alexis asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" he replied, wondering where she was getting at.

Remus, who also had always been quick to catch onto things, knew exactly where Alexis was going. "Sirius, how will you fare working at a café if you can't even deal with something as little as that?" he asked and received a glare from his best friend. Remus chuckled, his laughter vibrating in Tonks' ear and successfully making her smile.

The small group continued on teasing Sirius and his first day of work as they made their way through the barrier together, stepping foot onto Platform 9 ¾, a place inscribed within all of their memories and never to be forgotten.

Instantly when they got onto the Platform, the Weasley family had greeted them, having lingered around the place of the barrier in hopes of seeing them. Tonks, whom had been holding hands with Remus, momentarily let go of him to give Bill and Charlie and goodbye hug just like Alexis was doing. Their two friends would soon be returning to their individual place of employment out of the country and with all honesty, none of them knew when they'd see each other again.

When Charlie weaved his arms around her waist to hug her, Tonks noticed that he'd lingered more than normal. She hugged him tighter, knowing that she'd miss him. After Bill and Charlie had gone off to help Ginny and Ron put their luggage onto the train, Tonks returned to Remus' side. She noticed that Silvia and Remus were deep in conversation with Arthur and Molly regarding the safety of the students at Hogwarts after what had happened at the World Cup and the alleged Death Eaters now resurfacing.

Once again, Tonks found herself becoming a spectator of life, a rare occasion for her. She stood next to Remus and watched the people passing her by, eventually taking interest upon her two cousins who were in close distance. She could hear them clearly, but Tonks didn't know if they were aware. She didn't bother to tell them however, and remained quiet as she overheard her cousins' various conversations.

Alexis was talking and laughing with Fred and George. The three of them were stressing over how little they will be able to communicate once the school year started. Tonks was slightly surprised. She didn't think Alexis and the twins communicated that often, but apparently they did, every night by owl and floo powder.

"We will owl you…" one twin said.

"…everyday, until you get tired of us."

"But then we still won't stop because it bothers you."

"And it's just amusing to us."

Tonks always marveled at how one twin could finish off the other's sentences, as if they were two but one and they could read each and every thought going through the mind of the others. The bond between twins was truly extraordinary.

Her wandering eyes couldn't help but notice Alexis slipping a small parcel to Fred and George, seeming hastily wrapped and suspicious in some way. Tonks wondered what it was, but knew that her cousin wouldn't give her a straight answer if she asked. She could only determine that since the parcel was wrapped by parchment that still had the Ministry of Magic watermark upon it, it was something Alexis took from her work. Oh sweet merlin, Tonks thought.

The train whistle blew and Tonks looked up to see hot, smoky steam rise from the front of the scarlet red train. She turned back to see Fred and George rushing to give Alexis a hug before boarding the train. One of the twins—Tonks could not tell whom—had held onto Alexis longer than normal, his hands linger around her waist to keep her close. Finally the twins boarded the train and were soon followed by Harry Potter who just barely made it before the train began moving. Sirius was walking up casually beside the moving train, smiling and waving to his godson that waved back at them all.

"There it goes," Remus sighed, looking wistfully at the gleaming scarlet steam engine.

They all watched as the whistle on the train blew louder and the wheels began turning. The sound of the railroad track sliding against the metal wheels could be heard, moving at a rapidly increasing pace out of the Platform. The gleaming scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts Express picked up speed and moved further away from the watching adults. Soon, the train reached its full speed and disappeared into the horizon with the brilliant golden sun shining brightly upon it, wrapping it in warmth like a velvet blanket.

"We'll see it again," said Tonks in a gentle voice, trying to comfort him.

"That train held so many memories, it feels strange watching it go," said Remus.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to deny it," Tonks began softly and slowly. "You're sad seeing it go. It's alright to admit it you know. I'm sad seeing it go too…"

"I admit, it's strange watching it go and knowing that I'll never again be able to ride it."

She didn't know what she could say to comfort him. Tonks bit her lips and turned to face him while sliding her arms around his waist and holding him close as he returned her embrace with one of his own carrying equal affection. Upon her head, she could feel Remus place a gentle kiss and Tonks smiled into his chest. She was desperately searching for some way to make him feel better, cheer him up, like any normal girlfriend would be able to do with ease. But yet, each idea she had, Tonks would always come up short.

"Moony, Tonksie, we'll be leaving now," Sirius said, getting their attention. "You two can stay a little longer," he added. "I just have to leave to start work and Silv is taking me."

"Alright, see you later Sirius," Tonks grinned while Remus smiled gently at his friend.

As Sirius and Silvia began weaving through the large crowd to head back through the barrier onto King's Cross Station, Molly and Arthur had bade their goodbyes as well and invited Tonks and the others over to dinner whenever they can make time. Tonks smiled as she watched them go, sad that such a wonderful summer had come to an end. With the Barty Crouch Jr. Investigation assigned to her and the thought of Voldemort and Death Eaters fresh in her mind, Tonks could predict that the next few months will be worse than hell.

"Dora, you better return to work. Lexi is waiting," said Remus softly.

Tonks turned to look towards her cousin who seemed to be having trouble making her way through a very large, thick, and crowded family who were piling through the barrier one by one. Twinkling dark emerald eyes then turned back to meet Remus' clairvoyant sapphire blue ones. Looking into them, Tonks suddenly felt a stir in her stomach, making her want to be with him rather than return to work in a boring office floor.

"I want to stay with you," she said softly.

"Your supervisors will not like that," said Remus, not wanting her to give up anything more, including work, because of him.

"Remus," Tonks began, whole-heartedly choosing Remus over her beloved job.

"Pardon me," Alexis' voice suddenly sounded. Remus and Tonks both turned to face her, wondering why she sounded formal all of a sudden. She cleared her throat subtly and began to speak. "If I may intrude…Remus, you should just spend time with Tonks seeing that we have absolutely nothing to do for our case until we contact Moody on a later date. So even if Tonks returned to the Ministry, she'd have nothing to do. Why not just let her spend time with you and snog or do whatever hopelessly romantic couples do."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Not you too," she said, fearing that Alexis would tease them like Sirius and Silvia always did.

Her cousin simply grinned and gracefully slid through the barrier, leaving Remus and Tonks standing alone on a now less crowded but not abandoned Platform 9 ¾. Shyly, Remus turned back to Tonks. He seemed to have debated about whether to continue disagreeing with her about spending time together or not. Remus relented eventually and instead of insisting she should get back to her work, he asked her something she hadn't expected.

"Dora, will you go on a date with me?" he asked shyly in a voice that was nearly inaudible while he nervously bit his lips and out of habit rubbed the back of his neck.

The smile upon Tonks' lips danced into a full blossomed grin as she met his gentle blue eyes with her twinkling emerald ones. His cheeks were beat red and she couldn't help but find herself entranced by him. They both were caught in a spell made by the other.

"I'd love to," she replied and stood on her tiptoes to briefly place a kiss upon his lips.

* * *

><p>Night came quickly and before they knew it, the silver moon was up and hanging in the night sky accompanied by a bed of twinkling stars. Remus and Tonks had been wandering around London together, hand in hand as they crossed street after street and visited one place after another. At first, Remus had felt guilty for pulling her away from her work but after lots of reassuring and convincing from Tonks, he finally relaxed. They were laughing and smiling as they talked and joked around. The bright lights of the city turned on after sunset, illuminating their smiles in vivid, glowing colors.<p>

"Remus, you're a tea lover, how could you never have tea here before?" Tonks asked.

He chuckled as he held her hand with his right and carried several light paper shopping bags with his left hand. At that moment in time, Tonks and Remus no longer felt like a witch and a wizard or a metamorphmagus and a werewolf. They were simply a couple, wandering the streets, shopping and smiling under the city lights. At that moment in time, they were normal.

"I don't go to muggle London often," Remus replied, smiling still.

"You've missed out on so much," Tonks sighed. "My dad's a muggle-born and so he'd take us here all the time. Even my mum had grown rather fond of this shopping district," she smiled, looking around into the windows of the many stores.

"Your mother is very open," said Remus gently. "My parents, ever since I was infected with lycanthropy, never took me here again. I've only been to muggle London a few times in my lifetime," he said, looking up at the elegant architectures that surrounded them and was amazed at the sight of the city life.

"Remus, we will come here again, all the time," Tonks said, not wanting to dwell too long on the troubles of Remus' past that he'd confessed to her. She did not want him hurting any more than he already did. "And my mother…I guess she's very open."

"Why do you seem doubtful? Andromeda is very kind."

"I just never really understand how she and her sisters turned out so differently though."

Their flowing conversation reached a more melancholy state. Remus was quiet for a moment, wondering if Tonks was willing to tread any further on the topic of her family.

"I mean honestly, Narcissa is an ice queen while Bellatrix is the queen of insanity. I wonder how my mum turned out this way sometimes."

"Andromeda's relationship with the rest of her family…is not very simple, is it?" Remus asked gently, thinking about Tonks' mother whom she looked so much like, thinking about Sirius, and thinking about Alexis.

"Not simple at all," Tonks replied. "It worries me sometimes, because certain situations would come up and I'd feel like she'd never entirely let go of the past." Tonks was now talking her heart to him, voicing her thoughts and her worries. To Remus, it seemed like their relationship had reached a whole new level of closeness.

"It's difficult for someone to entirely let go of their past, love. Their past was there for a reason," said Remus in a voice as soft as velvet.

"Her past, blimey it frustrates me. Remus, I don't think I know my mother at all."

"Dora, I think you know her very well. But if you feel that you still don't know her well, have you tried talking to her and questioning her about this past left behind?" Remus asked. It was always the same situation with Sirius and Alexis. Their past was put behind them but they never truly turned from it. Remus had noticed that the same thing seemed to happen to him and Silvia as well, being unable to turn from a past forsaken.

"I tried talking to her, but she's like Lexi and Sirius. Whenever you tread on sensitive ground, they retreat and back away. Remus, I feel like they don't trust me," she confessed.

"They'd trust you with their lives," he reassured her. "Sirius said so himself and I'm sure your mother would as well. Lexi, although she doesn't say it, trusts you more than anything. Dora, it's not always what is spoken but what is shown," he soothed her uneasy heart.

It was truly a change for him—that date. They walked the street hand in hand like a normal couple, discussing the happenings and worries of every day and family life. They were no different from any others on the street, magical or non-magical. Tonks had also confided many of her thoughts into him and for once, the table has turned. Remus was now the one comforting her and it made him feel glad that he could finally do something for her in their relationship. He wished for nights spent like such more often.

Tonks sighed and stretched her arms. "Let's not talk about it anymore," she said.

"Love, just remember, you are in no way left out of anything," he assured her with a gentle, loving voice that eased her heart like satin.

It was a while after but Tonks finally smiled. She remained quiet for a little longer, walking with him in comfortable silence. Eventually, the feeling of worry disappeared and her vibrant energy resurfaced. She took his hands and danced around the street, peering into store windows while they walked and danced.

Under the luminescent lights, Remus chased after Tonks, both wearing smiles upon their faces as they weaved through the mild crowds of the bustling street. After a short chase, he finally caught up to her and held her around her waist. Caught up in the moment, the smiling couple exchanged feathers of kisses trailing from their lips to their cheeks and necks. Tonks laughed and Remus grinned. For once in his life, he'd forgotten about all his abnormality and basked in the feeling his lover gave him.

To others on the street, Remus and Tonks was an odd couple. The man was much too old for the women, but they still couldn't deny that there was love between these two—and it was a love they all yearned for in their lifetime. To Remus and Tonks, the feeling of seeing the other smile was simply like being on top of the world.

As the night grew darker, Remus and Tonks decided it was time to head home. Just when they were about to turn back, they suddenly passed by a café several blocks away from Long Street where Tonks lived. Looking into the café, Remus and Tonks immediately spotted Sirius Black who was lounging quite comfortably in a large chair behind the wooden counter. They smiled and looked at each other, exchanging curious looks. Wondering how Sirius was doing in a place packed tight with muggles, Remus and Tonks went inside to visit him.

The smiling couple went inside and Sirius was not surprised to see them. He took them to their seats and rolled his piercing grey eyes when they gave him their complicated orders. Sirius had known that they would try to mess with him, claiming that Silvia, Alexis, and even Kingsley Shacklebolt had already visited him that day with irritating orders.

Sirius quickly returned to work after serving them, seeming like he was diligent and hard working. Remus and Tonks had both been perceived to think that for a while, until they spotted the portly muggle man with a thick moustache and beady eyes who was his manager. Instantly, the witch and wizard realized that Sirius' manager was hopelessly confounded.

"Padfoot," Tonks called, waving her cousin over.

Sirius ran a hand through his thick but mildly short black hair as he walked over to them. "What do you two lovebirds want now?" he asked.

"Sirius, did you really confound your manager?" Remus asked.

He turned back to glance at the old man who was grinning to himself, rocking his head back and forth as if high and dazed by fantasy. Sirius then looked back at them and nodded too many times. "I don't see what's wrong with it."

"Padfoot! You've already confounded your manager on the first day of work!"

"Hey, I'm working hard," Sirius defended himself. "And besides…a confounded manager is a fun manager," he added indignantly with a large, Sirius-like grin upon his face.

Tonks rolled her eyes and shook her head while Remus sighed.

"How come Kingsley's the only one who thought it was funny?" Sirius asked.

"Because he doesn't have to put up with you day in and day out," Tonks replied dryly.

"Bloody hell," Sirius huffed. "You two, Lexi, and Silv fear that I might burn this place down or something."

"Can't say we haven't thought of that," said Remus, smirking.

"Brutal Moony, brutal," Sirius replied. "You know Nymphie, I was going to be cruel back to you, but Silvia would maim me if I didn't tell you. She came to visit me around three and said she'd gotten a meeting with Mad-Eye scheduled in three days," Sirius said in a monotone voice. "There, I told you."

"A meeting with Mad-Eye?" Remus asked, his grin slowly returning to a simple smile.

"I'm guessing it's to open up the Riddle Mansion," Tonks added, trying not to let the worries of work interfere with her time spent with Remus. "I'll worry about it when it comes."

"Whatever you say cuz," Sirius shrugged and strutted off again, tending to a strangely patient customer who sat on the other side of the room with black hair, almond shaped eyes, and a white mechanical machinery of the muggles opened which Tonks had heard her father call a personal computer laptop.

"You'll be searching the Riddle Mansion in three days," said Remus, trying hard to prevent the bad memories that in one way or another linked itself to the Wizarding War and the Riddle House—Death Eater Headquarters.

"I guess so," Tonks replied.

* * *

><p>Responses:<p>

RemusTonksFan: Thank you! and I know, I feel so bad for Remus too! The werewolf prejudice in the Wizarding world is not fair! :( Oh well, hopefully things get better for poor Remus soon...

TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish: Thank you so much! And I'm trying to add more Remus and Tonks moment into the story because I love them too...to the point where I am writing stories about them haha, but I'm trying to think of more moments, I just don't want to repeat any or that'd be odd.


	11. The House of Riddle

**Author's Note:**

I've always been under the impression that Remus shows his love for Tonks subtly so I can't imagine him constantly saying 'I love you'. What do you guys think? Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for supporting!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11 – The House of Riddle<strong>

Ever since Tonks began dating Remus, her daily morning ritual had changed significantly from what it used to be. Instead of dragging herself out of bed to wake up to an insipid day at work and a dull day at home, Tonks would wake up to Remus' smiling face and his warm, sunlit flat in the middle of Surrey.

Her eyes opened slowly, revealing twinkling emerald eyes behind those well-rested eyelids. She looked up from the small, comfortable mattress that sat in the corner and met Remus' gentle sapphire eyes. He sat in the shabby, overstuffed armchair several feet away from her, a journal in his hand and a quill in his other. Remus wore a gentle smile and it brightened when their gazes met. Naturally, Tonks smiled and shifted so that she rested her head on her hand, lying on her side as she faced him with a playful smirk.

"Good morning Nymphadora," he said softly, his voice laced with subtle morning briskness but his tone was mellow and deep.

"Good morning Remus," she replied. That playful smirk of hers continued to dance across her lips, seducing him, entrancing him, to the point where Remus replied back with a mischievous Marauder grin of his. He licked his lips and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at her. She shifted again, tossing her natural, luscious mousy brown hair. "How long have you been awake?" Tonks asked gently.

"Not long," he replied. "I decided to venture into a new hobby today," he said, smiling.

She raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh? And what is it?" Tonks replied with an edge of seduction to her voice.

"Sketching," he said and turned the journal in his hand around to show her.

A soft laugh escaped her lips. Tonks was flattered. Her eyes carefully observed the black and white ink drawing that Remus drew of her, sleeping. The details were extremely accurate down to every tiny feature. Tonks raised her eyebrow again, wondering if that was how she looked like when she was asleep. My god, she thought, I don't mean to praise myself but Remus' drawing makes me look like an angel!

"It's lovely," she said, blushing.

He smiled again, his cheeks turning pink. "And…awkwardly, while I was sketching, I received a floo call from Sirius," he added in a sigh but his smile still remained.

Once again, Tonks chuckled. She sat up on his bed and hugged her knees to her chest as he came over and sat down beside her. "Wait, how is Sirius awake this early?"

"I don't know," Remus smiled. "But he threatened me in a very profane and disturbing way, telling me to bring you home on time."

Tonks sighed and rolled her eyes. She glanced at the clock and shook her head. "I swear he's acting worse than my mum," she said, tossing the blanket off. "I guess we have to go back now. I have work anyways," she frowned.

He lifted her chin up and placed a gentle kiss upon her lips. When Remus pulled back, he held her close and placed kisses upon her head. "Come on love, I'll see you after work."

With Remus' arms around her waist the entire time, Tonks freshened up as slow as she possibly could. Once done, she and Remus left his flat hand in hand, smiling to his curious muggle neighbors who were all trying to pry deeper as to how the shabby young man ended up with an eccentric young woman.

"I sometimes wonder how we deal with prying muggle neighbors," said Tonks as she and Remus escaped the last of his neighbors.

"They're not that bad," said Remus optimistically. "Now, instead of being worried about muggle neighbors, you should be worried about what you're doing at work today."

"What should I be worried about?" Tonks asked, feigning innocence.

Remus smiled but narrowed his gaze on her. "I remember that today you're meeting with Alastor Moody to open the Riddle House. Nymphadora, please be careful."

Tonks sighed. "I was hoping you'd forgotten about that. You tend to worry…too much."

"I can't help it. This is the Riddle House you're investigating," he said in a soft and gentle voice. Remus leaned closer to her as they walked, successfully showing her his worry without the need for words.

"Everything will be fine," she said, trying to convince him not to worry. "I'll be with Lexi and Silv…and Mad-Eye for god's sake. Nothing bad will happen."

Remus sighed. "Sirius and I have spoken about this and we both agree that there's something strange about the Riddle House. It would be best if you don't tamper with it."

"I need it to investigate Crouch Jr. Remus, it'll be fine," she said. "Trust in my ability as an auror, please."

Remus licked his lips and looked at his feet. "Dora, we feel that something bad might happen. I mean, Sirius and I are no seers, but that strange instinctive feeling can't be mistaken."

Tonks looked down. She morphed her hair from brown to blue and then from blue to pink unknowingly while deep in thought. She was quiet for a while, trying to find a way that would ease Remus of his constant worry. He already had enough to worry about—finding a new job and the upcoming full moon—he shouldn't be troubled by her problems as well.

"Perhaps," she began slowly. "Remus, would you be less worried if you came with me?"

"Pardon?" he asked, wondering if he would be allowed to do so.

"You should come with me to investigate the Riddle House," she said. "Besides, your sharp eyes could really help us search thoroughly through it," she added pensively.

Remus thought about it for a moment. He felt that he was being too protective of her, but he and Sirius had both agreed that there was something strange about all these events happening—Tonks investigating the Riddle House may just be the key to opening the series of unfortunate events they all secretly feared.

"Would it be alright?" he asked after a while.

Tonks nodded. "Of course, there won't be any officials there. Mad-Eye trusts you, and of course Silv and Lexi trust you."

"But the Minister, won't he question?"

"Fudge doesn't know, does he?" Tonks smirked. "Come on love, off we go."

Remus chuckled as she took his hand and led him down the street, heading to her flat on Long Street, London. She knew Remus was worried and protective of her, and who was she to question his care? Tonks smiled as she led him, deciding to feel flattered that he cared for her instead of questioning anything at all.

The walk back to Tonks' flat had been cut short by Remus and Tonks' side-along apparition halfway. They hid in an alley and disapparated with a soft _pop_ once they were sure no muggles would see them. In an instant, the world around them swirled and the dimensions seemed to have briefly intertwined. The couple had apparated from an alley in Surrey over to a narrow alley in a mildly busy part of London.

When they opened the burgundy red door to Tonks' flat, Remus and Tonks were greeted by a wide awake Sirius Black who was surprisingly, getting ready for work. Sirius looked up from The Daily Prophet, smiling at them but then narrowing his eyes and stroking his chin.

"You haven't done anything when you slept over at his place, did you?" he asked with an accusing gaze as if Tonks and Remus had both committed deadly sins.

"Um…well…" Remus began, growing bright red.

"We-uh…" Tonks added, avoiding Sirius' uncomfortable stare.

"I'm joking, I don't want to know anything," said Sirius as-a-matter-of-factly. He suddenly got up and headed down the hallway, turning into Alexis' room to wake her up. Sirius emerged from the dark hallway seconds later, scratching his trimmed goatee as another thought came to his mind.

"What's wrong, Padfoot?" Remus asked, hoping it was no longer about him and Tonks.

"Lexi threw a pillow at me," Sirius replied. "You know, she'd be able to wake up a lot easier if she doesn't stay up late to talk on the floo," he added. "And she laughs very loudly! Tonks, I'm sorry. I now understand that loud noises in the middle of the night can be very annoying especially if you have work the next day."

Tonks shook her head and smiled at Sirius. "Who does Lexi talk with over the floo?"

"I don't know, Marrick?" Sirius replied, getting back to his paper.

Turning back to Remus, Tonks still found it odd how her cousin talked on the floo late at night. Marrick's flat in the middle of London didn't have a chimney. Even though she'd only been there once, it was enough for her to recall that he didn't have access to floo at all. Strange, she thought.

"Oi, Padfoot, can you wake her up again? We have work to do today," Tonks said, remembering that she should probably inform Alexis that Remus would be joining them in investigating the Riddle House that afternoon.

* * *

><p>It was still early in the morning and already, Nymphadora Tonks wanted to throw all the papers she had in her hands up in the air and call it a day. All morning she'd been running up and down from the Auror Department on level two to The Department of Mysteries on level nine, exchanging and discussing information concerning the reappearance of Bartemius Crouch Jr. and occasionally, Remus' case that there still have been no improvements on.<p>

Having grown tired from walking back and forth, back and forth, Tonks stopped and took a seat upon the edge of the Fountain of Magical Brethren, with a group of large, golden statues in the middle of the circular pool. The statues stood revealing a very discreet, underlying message of superiority amongst magical beings. Glittering jets of water shot from various points upon the golden statues. The tinkling hiss of falling water was added to the pops and cracks of Apparators and the clatter of footsteps scurrying back and forth in the Atrium.

She looked up at the peacock-blue ceiling, sighing to the enormous heavenly notice board inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that moved and changed continually. When Tonks looked down again, she noticed her raven-haired cousin maneuvering her way gracefully through the crowd of witches and wizards—Alexis had spotted her and was coming towards her.

"I swear I was going to be down in a few minutes, I was just taking a little rest," explained Tonks who have now become aware of her cousin's strictly business attitude after working with her for Crouch Jr.'s case—no wonder Alexis had so much respect.

"Oh no, I've finished sorting through the files. Now we're just here to take a break and wait for Silvia to meet up," Alexis said with a small smile through her tired look.

"Finished the files?" asked Tonks, surprised since she recalled seeing a good five stacks of papers upon Alexis' long desk before she left. "What'd you do with all of them?"

"Skimmed them and then chucked them away," Alexis replied casually. "They're all invalid claims of paranoid witches and wizards thinking they've seen Crouch Jr. anyways. They're of no use to us, and so why should I waste more of my desk space?"

Tonks shook her head, amazed.

Alexis sat down beside Tonks on the side of the fountain and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "So how have you been cuz? Through all the work, I haven't even gotten a chance to hold a proper conversation with my colorfully reckless cousin."

"I've been fine," Tonks sighed. "I'm done with work. I just want to go home."

"Do you mean our home, home, or Remus' home, home?" Alexis teased.

Tonks smiled and playfully pushed her cousin as they look out onto the crowd of people moving back and forth. "Why must you always tease me and Remus?" she asked.

"Well you and Moony _do_ always spend time together. In fact, you two spend so much time together that you entire day revolves around him," Alexis replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

"You and Marrick spend a lot of time together. Why doesn't anyone ever make fun of you two? When you're alone, sweetness just got onto a whole new level!" said Tonks, shivering.

"But Marrick and I have been together for a while and we're old news," Alexis smirked. "You and Moony on the other hand, are new, interesting news, and juicy gossip," she teased.

"Alright, you want juicy gossip?" Tonks retorted with a joking tone. "Who were you floo calling all night last night and the many nights before? Don't feign innocence with me, Black."

"What?" Alexis asked, making a dramatic face of surprise while doing what Tonks told her exactly not to do—feigning innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Playfully, Tonks narrowed her eyes. "You weren't talking to Marrick, I know that. He doesn't even have a chimney. So who was it?"

"Friends," Alexis replied.

"Liar," Tonks retorted. She proceeded to playfully push her cousin once again but both girls halted midway through their teasing once their eyes spotted a familiar, suspicious man making his way through the crowd of people from the lifts to the gilded chimneys.

"That's Ian Rosier. What's he doing here?" She wondered aloud while closely observing Rosier's hurried stride. He seemed troubled and annoyed and she wondered what was going on.

"He's most likely in for questioning about the Bryce Murder Investigation," Alexis replied. "Probably to save his own skin and testify against Remus again."

"Save his _own_ skin?" Tonks asked, bemused.

"Yes," Alexis nodded. "I don't trust him, not one bit," she said confidently.

"Why would Rosier want to harm Remus? He doesn't even know him…right?"

"It's hard to guess a man's intention when he operates with haste and privacy. Tonksie, for an auror, you're awfully trusting," Alexis said softly.

Tonks shrugged, standing up beside her cousin as they continued to watch Ian Rosier disappear into an empty chimney and vanish in a sea of emerald flames. While Tonks watched, Alexis was busy thinking about Narcissa's hint to her of the precaution she should take when dealing with Ian Rosier. Alexis couldn't help but wonder if she should trust in Narcissa's words. The icy woman was her aunt after all and could really be trying to help her and Tonks, or she could be trying to lure them into a mind trap…

"What are you two gazing at?" Silvia's voice suddenly sounded in a rich and heavy Spanish accent from behind them.

Neither of the girls had noticed her appearance and were both shocked as they turned around. They were surprised to see that Silvia looked just as troubled as Rosier had and her eyes were even swollen, tinged with a slight color of red, looking like she'd been crying just a few moments ago. It was hard to tell, but as women, they could see the tears she was trying to mask.

Tonks frowned. "Silv, what's wrong?" she asked.

Alexis on the other hand, showed her worry through a gentle look but otherwise remained quiet, observing Silvia and hoping to find an answer through the minor details.

"Nothing," Silvia replied quickly. "Sorry, it was just a little personal problem."

Tonks was about to continue questioning, but having known Silvia for so long, she knew that the auror wouldn't crack until she was about ready to explode and fortunately she wasn't ready to erupt just yet. She decided to let it go but continued to show her worry and care.

"Alright, but remember, you still have us." The Spanish beauty nodded, pretending to rub her face when in reality she was clearing her cheeks of fresh tear streaks. "Anyways," Tonks continued, turning back to Alexis while keeping an eye on Silvia, afraid that tears would spill at any given second. "What were we talking about?" Tonks asked, searching desperately for a change in conversation to turn the spotlight away from Silvia.

"Rosier," Alexis replied, her dark brown eyes quietly watching. "I'm telling you, Rosier cannot be trusted. We should warn Kingsley and tell him to keep an eye out."

"Why would Rosier want to harm Remus?" Tonks replied. "What's he got to gain?"

"You're discussing Ian Rosier?" Silvia asked in a broken voice and both Tonks and Alexis nodded. "He…I just-just saw him coming out of the School Board Office," she said.

"He has to have met with Lucius Malfoy," Alexis said suddenly as if unable to hold back.

"Why is that?" Tonks asked but Alexis shook her head, clearly not wanting to answer.

"Come on then," Silvia said softly with subtle finality in her voice, putting an end to their discussion of Rosier. "It's almost time to meet Mad-Eye and he hates it when we're late. I bet you Remus had already gotten over to Little Hangleton," she said.

The pink-haired auror and raven-haired Unspeakable exchanged glances but spoke no words to each other. "Alright, off we go to the Riddle House," Tonks sighed.

* * *

><p><em>Pop. Pop. Pop.<em>

Tonks, Alexis, and Silvia had apparated to Little Hangleton straight from the Ministry's Atrium, creating three consecutive pops with their arrival. They landed on the soft, dark brown dirt road that led into the small, sleepy town. It was late morning when they arrived and in all other parts of the country, the sun was shining brilliantly. However, in Little Hangleton, the golden sun was hidden behind a thick curtain of dreary grey clouds, casting an eerie feeling over everyone even in broad daylight.

"What a lively place," said Tonks sarcastically.

Her twinkling emerald eyes searched the town, looking for any signs of active life and people she could question. There weren't many people on the greyish roads in the dull little town—they must all be cooped up at home or gathered in The Hanged Man pub, the town's meeting place. Following Alexis and Silvia, who were already walking ahead, Tonks' eyes casted upon the tall and looming Riddle House upon the hill. It was overlooking the town and the Little Hangleton graveyard that sat decrepit and abandoned and taken over by weed.

Walking quietly with nothing but the sound of their footsteps against the dry dead grass, the three women treaded their way to the top of the hill. As they came closer to the house, the air around them grew quieter and all negative feelings seem to echo. To Tonks, it was almost like the feeling around Azkaban Prison, almost. Their walk was quiet for none of the women spoke. The silent air seemed to have sucked all the words out of them.

Halfway, Tonks was the first to spot a shabby but still young man who stood waiting on the side of the road. He wore a simple dark brown suit with a crimson red plaid collar shirt underneath. His face though slightly pallid, wore a smile once he spotted them in return.

"Remus," Tonks sighed and ran towards him, stirring small smiles from Alexis and Silvia. She jumped up to reach his neck and pulled him into a hug while Remus returned her embrace eagerly, chuckling as he did.

"Hello Nymphadora," he smiled and inhaled a deep breath of her once before pulling back to take her hand. "Hello Lexi, Silvia," Remus added. His eyes lingered on Silvia's somber expression but Tonks pressed his hand and cleverly, Remus turned away.

"Have you been waiting long, Remus?" Silvia asked softly.

"Not long," he replied. "I believe Moody had already gone up."

"Well we better hurry then," Alexis said, leading the group by several feet.

When the group reached the rusting metal gates that lined the closer outside boundaries of the Riddle House, they found Mad-Eye Moody leaning up against the metal gate, his face contorted in a mixture of boredom and impatience. His electric blue magical eye seemed to be getting stuck during its hysterical spinning inside its socket.

"Mad-Eye," Tonks smiled.

Moody grunted. "What took you so long?" he asked in a low, gruff voice. His human eye studied them while his magical eye was once again stuck in a very awkward stare.

"We walked like normal people," Tonks retorted, partially missing him but partially annoyed with her old mentor already.

Moody grunted once again and made his way up beside Alexis who was closely examining the rusting iron gates. He took out his wand and placed it on the lock, muttering a few very soft charms to counter the protection upon the house. As Moody did this, puzzled expressions appeared on both Alexis and Tonks' faces. They both had discovered that the house was sealed by blood magic. Surely Moody had to do a little more than mutter a few counter-curses. It was definitely strange as now, the house seem to never have been protected by blood magic at all. Once again, Alexis and Tonks exchanged similar, skeptical glances.

"Mad-Eye, isn't there a little more you have to do?" Tonks asked him carefully.

"Like what?" he asked with a rough chuckle.

Remus had noticed what was going through Tonks and Alexis' mind and soon even Silvia caught on. They all quietly wondered to themselves but oddly, none of them voiced their questions aloud. Why couldn't they open the house by simple counter-curses before but Moody could do it now? Surely there was more to this story behind Moody's protection of the house.

As they headed into the eerie and depressing house, Tonks' eyes couldn't stop trying to look deeper into her old mentor's oddness. She noticed that there was something different about him, something strange that she couldn't exactly pinpoint. She turned to Remus, wondering if he'd noticed too. He didn't seem to notice exactly what she saw, but the look in Remus' eyes suggested that he sensed something was peculiar and going extremely wrong.

Inside the Riddle House, the place looked as if it had been the scene for that year's award-winning horror movie. A thick layer of dust covered every inch of the decrepit living space. A suffocating stench of mold and decay filled their senses to the point where it felt almost tangible. The furniture inside the old house lay untouched, antiquated, and derelict. The walls were peeling and parts of the painted part of the house had mostly chipped off, revealing the wooden exoskeleton of the structure.

Tonks looked around, taking in the strange emptiness that filled the house. She took a deep breath, trying not to choke on the dust and mold. Alexis was already coughing and wheezing, having always been used to extremely clean surroundings and being a clean freak. Tonks wondered how much it bothered her dear cousin to be standing in that place.

"There are four landings in his house," said Moody in an even rougher and scratchier voice. "Silvia, you take the uppermost landing; Alexis, the one below her. Tonks and Remus, you cover the second landing together and I'll take the ground floor. Any questions?" he asked, his auror instincts surfacing.

"None," Alexis said, placing a hand on Silvia's shoulder as she coughed once again. The two women then carefully made their way up the termite eaten stairs, wary for anything that might happen or anything that might break under their feet.

Tonks and Remus walked together carefully up the stairs, Remus catching Tonks gracefully as she'd nearly fallen off on the sixth step, not so gracefully. Upon the second landing, they found a large corridor with doors lining left and right all the way down towards the lone window at the end of the hall. Instinctively, Remus and Tonks walked into the first several rooms to look around, splitting up for the most part.

Inside, the rooms looked like they've been abandoned for some time. Tonks noticed something odd about them however. They didn't look like typical muggle bedrooms or studies or anything in that matter. She'd spotted several broken or unused magical instruments in many of them and realized that magical folks had been there. The Riddle family was a family of muggles though, and that made her curiosity turn on.

"Remus, did you find anything strange?" Tonks asked, meeting Remus in the middle of the corridor. "The Riddles were all muggles. How come…"

"This was a Death Eater headquarters, remember?" he said gently, subconsciously taking her hand as if it'd become a natural thing.

"Alright," Tonks nodded, thinking. "I'm guessing the Death Eaters lived here then?"

"Well, it sounds very likely," Remus replied. "When Sirius and I were in the Order of the Phoenix, on many nights we'd stay at headquarters as well. It was more convenient that way."

"So if we find any solid proof in here that could point us to a person, we may be able to prove he or she a Death Eater and get information regarding Crouch Jr. from them!"

Remus thought for a moment then smiled and nodded. "Yes," he said, but then his smile fell. "Though I don't think it'd be that easy."

Tonks sighed and dropped her head into his chest, calming herself with the sound of his beating heart. He took a deep breath and she could hear his voice vibrate against his chest when he spoke. She rarely took note of this but now she finally noticed how deep and smooth of a voice Remus has. It was like she'd fallen into a bed of satin.

"Although, I guess maybe if they'd left this place in a hurry, we'd be able to find something," he added to get her hopes up.

"Then let's start looking," said Tonks, suddenly optimistic. She took his hand and danced backwards, trying to turn away from the cold and spooky feeling the place gave her. Tonks led Remus into another room in the corridor, this room right beside a set of stairs, several steps missing, and leading up to the third landing where Alexis was supposed to search.

When they entered that room, both Tonks and Remus were surprised to see Alexis inside. Her back was turned to them and she didn't move. Her gaze seemed to be fixated on something that sat upon a tall wooden drawer. The entire room had a different feel overall from the rest of the house. As Tonks stepped inside, dread and grim was no longer the feeling that overwhelmed her. The feeling had been replaced with sadness. The room looked no different from any of the others she'd seen, but something about it, as if it was unseen magic, made her feel sad.

"Lexi?" Tonks asked softly.

She gently let go of Remus' hand. He'd decided to stay back, allowing Tonks space to speak with her cousin who seemed completely entranced by something that sat upon the wooden drawer. Her small body was covering it and so Remus could only guess that it was something small which only Alexis' keen eye for details would be able to notice.

"Oi," said Tonks. "Lexi, something wrong?"

"Nothing," Alexis replied quickly as if she'd just returned to Earth. "Nothing's…wrong, exactly. But…Tonks maybe you should come look at this."

Tonks shifted so that she stood beside Alexis now and finally saw what had gotten her cousin's mind so warped. Alexis was staring at two small items that sat upon the dusty drawer, those two items removed from dust. Tonks knew but the way Alexis kept brushing her fingers against her black jeans that she'd brushed the dust off of those two items. One of the items was an old, yellowing photograph. Tonks couldn't see the image however, as Alexis had placed it facedown. The other item however, was something Tonks recognized immediately. It was a velvet red rose folded from expensive cloth in a way that origami would be folded. She'd seen those all around her home, Andromeda's home, all throughout her childhood. Andromeda Tonks was the only woman Tonks knew who could make those roses.

"Doesn't it look like Andromeda's?" Alexis asked softly.

"Yeah," Tonks nodded, picking it up and examining it. The loose end of the cloth was meticulously tucked into the bottom of the rose to hold it together in a way Tonks was sure only Andromeda knew how. "This looks exactly like the ones my mum has at home."

"This is Bellatrix Lestrange's room," said Alexis in a voice barely above a whisper.

Tonks looked at her cousin, rendered speechless.

"Look at this," Alexis said, her voice growing even softer than before.

Her slender fingers picked up the photograph and turned it around so that Tonks could see the faded black and white moving picture upon the old and yellowing piece of paper creased and folded in several places.

Inside the photograph, there were five young children smiling and laughing in an open field of tall, flowing grass that swayed with the moving wind. A young boy with black hair and a mischievous, darkly handsome face kept running around the field, provoking a girl a slight bit older than him with a wooden stick. The girl had a prominent jaw with a royal, beautiful face and long, curly hair. Running after the girl was another girl, slightly younger than her with golden blonde hair and a shy, reserved smile. She tripped over another young boy, looking significantly older and more mature than the rest of the children. The boy had neatly combed raven black hair and a clever look to him. He seemed to be screaming across the field to the last girl in the photograph, one with hair that looked mousy brown if the photograph had color, and a gentle face with significantly softer features than all of the other children.

"That's them," Tonks gasped.

Alexis nodded. "There's your mother, heading into the photograph," she said, pointing to the girl with significantly softer features. "My dad, sitting on the grass." Her slender finger gingerly trailed over the image of her father as a child, the boy with a clever look.

"That has to be Narcissa Malfoy," said Tonks. "The blonde one," she added. "And…"

"And that's Sirius, playing around with…with Bellatrix."

"Why would Bellatrix Lestrange, the insane, homicidal lunatic in Azkaban, keep this photograph after-after everything?" Tonks asked.

"I don't know," Alexis said, beginning to walk out of the room.

She placed a hand on Tonks' back, leading her as she walked behind. Tonks didn't seem to notice as Alexis discreetly slip the photograph and velvet cloth rose into the pocket of her khaki navy blue jacket. Remus, who had been watching the entire time, had been the only one to see, but he had unspoken understanding in his eyes and didn't say or gesture anything to Tonks.

"Do you think we can get Bellatrix Lestrange to give us some information about Crouch Jr.?" Tonks asked once they got back out to the middle of the corridor.

"Maybe…I wouldn't count on it," Alexis replied. She avoided Tonks' eyes, looking perplexed and deep in thought about something. "I-I think I'm going to go up to the third landing and check. You and Remus finish up this landing," she said.

Tonks nodded and watched as her cousin vanished up the stairs. "I wonder what goes on in Lexi's head," said Tonks to Remus.

"I'm sure there are too many things for her to explain to us properly," said Remus as if he could read Alexis' mind.

Tonks sighed. "Come on then, love," she said. "We have to finish searching this floor."

* * *

><p>Another cough left her throat dry as Alexis made her way up to the fourth landing, looking for Silvia. She'd finished searching the entire third landing which obviously had fewer rooms than the second landing did. No wonder Moody put both Remus and Tonks on the second landing. She turned left and headed down the empty corridor, her dark brown almost black eyes taking immediate notice to the only door that stood ajar towards the end of the corridor.<p>

She thought Silvia must be in there and so took patient steps towards the door, trying to make as little noise as possible on the creaky floorboards. The entire house was so quiet, it echoed with a dreadful silence and Alexis felt it out of her place to disturb the silence.

"Hey, Silv?" she called, coming closer to the door.

There was no response.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Alexis finally got to the door and noticed that she couldn't see or hear anything inside despite it being set ajar. She then realized that around the door and the room, there had been a nigh invisible barrier placed upon it. It looked like a veil of foggy glass. Someone definitely wanted their conversation private.

Alexis pressed on the barrier. "Silvia," she called.

She wondered if Silvia was in there and so pressed her ear carefully against the barrier to listen in. Alexis had her wand out and used a common charm most Unspeakables knew to enhance her hearing, enabling her to listen through even the most sophisticated of barriers and protections. She pressed her entire body against the glass like veil, listening carefully.

"…past is the past!" someone screamed. It sounded like Silvia.

"…still mattered…you owe me!" another booming voice shouted. This voice was low, gruff, and deep, belonging to a man no doubt. Alexis knew it didn't sound like Mad-Eye's however, and she wondered who else was inside the room with Silvia.

It was hard to hear when the conversation suddenly grew quiet again. Alexis continued to press closer as if trying to push the barrier down. She could only hear broken parts of conversations and random words, being unable to make out what each party was saying. She continued to listen for a long while, until there was suddenly dead silence.

Odd, she thought, and pushed even closer.

Suddenly, she heard a loud bang from inside the room. A series of loud noises followed swiftly afterwards and instinctively, Alexis knew that something was wrong. Worried for Silvia and panicking, Alexis' wand was out again and she was quickly lifting the barrier placed on the room. Whoever placed it must have been a very strong wizard for it took her longer than usual to undo it. The charm was complicated but finally, Alexis undid the charm and she kicked open the door to barge inside.

Once in, her eyes swallowed the scene and her brain took understanding instantly. Although she was an Unspeakable, she acted on instincts like an auror and right away, Alexis was shooting spells and dodging from ones being shot at her.

* * *

><p>After Alexis had left, Remus followed Tonks into another room, the one that stood straight across from Bellatrix Lestrange's room. It took a little bit of work for Tonks to open the door. She had to use many charms to counter the protection placed upon it, taking her a while to do so. As she muttered one counter-curse after another, Tonks wondered why this room was more difficult to get into than the rest. When they went inside, they immediately noticed that the room was in fact, very different. It was spotless. There wasn't a speck of dust on any of the surfaces and the room looked as if a nice and thorough cleaning charm had swept through it not too long ago. It was strange. Remus and Tonks looked at each other, puzzled.<p>

"This room had recently been used," said Remus.

"But that's not possible, is it?" said Tonks, looking around. "Mad-Eye had kept it sealed until now…he wouldn't have lifted it for anyone else," she added quietly.

"Nymphadora, you cannot deny the fact that this room had recently been used," Remus said, looking around, wiping a large wooden table and turning his palm upwards to show that there was not a trace of dust upon it.

"Mad-Eye can't be up to anything," said Tonks quietly, thinking to herself. She sighed and reached into the larger pocket of her auror robes to pull out a black camera. She fumbled with it for a moment before pulling back towards the doorway with Remus behind her and snapping a picture of the room. "For documentation," she said. "Now…who could have used this room? It couldn't have been any muggle as they wouldn't be able to get past even the simplest protection charm. And if it's a witch or wizard, they'd have to be very powerful to counter Moody's curse as even Alexis and I couldn't."

"Love," Remus called, holding her around her waist from behind. "You're a powerful auror. Alexis is a powerful Unspeakable. If neither of you could lift even one of Mad-Eye's protection spells, who do you think could?"

"If you're saying that Mad-Eye lifted the charms," Tonks began, her voice growing louder as she showed more frustration in her tone.

"I'm not saying anything," Remus said calmly, easing her as he became aware of how strong and stubborn Tonks' faith and loyalty in Moody was. She was a true Hufflepuff in that aspect. "Love, perhaps we should consult with the others about this."

Tonks nodded. She and Remus were just about to head back out of the room and look for Alexis, Silvia, or Moody when suddenly, they heard loud noises coming from upstairs. Remus and Tonks looked at each other, wondering what was going on. They stood to listen for a moment longer and Tonks could hear the sound of spells being shot back and forth as if a duel was taking place. Without thinking, she and Remus made haste for the stairs.

Remus helped Tonks up the steps first, catching her and stabling her when she'd tripped midway. They got to the third landing and still heard the loud noises that sounded like gunshot sounding from upstairs. Together, Remus and Tonks ran down the empty corridor and made a sharp, abrupt turn onto the wooden staircase. Tonks cursed when she'd stepped on a weak step and nearly fell through. Luckily, Remus was there to catch her and in their panic, continued on without stopping.

When the two of them finally reached the fourth landing, the noises had stopped. Tonks and Remus continued to run however, pushing open all the doors and finally arriving at the one towards the middle of the hallway with its door ajar. Tonks ran faster, pushing through and entering the room with a loud bang.

Inside the room, both Remus and Tonks were taken back by the sight they saw. Furniture lay broken and many holes were made on the floors, on the walls, and even the ceilings. The wooden window pane was hexed to pieces while the fireplace laid a blazing mess with a small fire burning upon the scattered ashes. There was a lone, antique armchair that sat untouched and unharmed several small feet away from the fireplace.

That wasn't what worried them however. Tonks and Remus were both looking at the sight in the middle of the room. Silvia was on the floor, unconscious and seeming to be bleeding from her shoulder. The coppery scent of blood became very present in the air as deep red blood flowed from Silvia's wound, dampening her white blouse. Alexis stood beside Silvia's unconscious body, her wand hand bleeding, dripping with blood. It seemed to have been cut by a stray cutting spell. Tonks was worried by the icy look in Alexis' eyes for her cousin was glaring at Tonks' old mentor, Mad-Eye Moody, with a glare that could kill. Alexis held Moody at the tip of her wand, a ruthless spell on the tip of her tongue…

* * *

><p>Responses:<p>

RemusTonksFan: thank you so much! xD

TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish: thank you! and I got my 3/4 to format properly because I typed all my chapters up on Microsoft Word first and then uploaded it so it stayed like that I'm guessing. As you can see, this 3/4 right now is odd looking. And for the problem between confounded and confunded, I personally try not to use confunded until I'm saying the incantation confundus in the story because I'm somewhat OCD and confunded shows up on my computer as not a word -_- stupid dictionary. Anyways, thank you and I hope you'll keep supporting! xD

I try to avoid saying this but I kind of wish I had more reviews haha.


	12. An Unexpected History

**Author's Note:**

I've decided to add a little more background into my other characters along with Remus and Tonks, I hope you don't mind. Also, I am trying to think of ideas for conflict for Remus but I can't really think of anything other than his lycanthropy. Remus just isn't an argumentative guy and unlike Tonks whom is a woman and somewhat reckless, finding good conflict plots for Remus is hard. Hmm, any ideas? I have some but I'm still developing on it.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12 – An Unexpected History<strong>

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Tonks shrieked at the top of her lungs, sprinting across the room and standing in between her cousin and mentor, fearlessly facing Alexis' wand.

"Silvia," Remus sighed, coming up beside Silvia's limp body on the ground, holding her head up and immediately muttering several charms to hold back the blood and close the wound as best as he could. "She needs to be taken to St. Mungo's," he said, but no one heard him.

"Alexis, are you mad?" Tonks screamed, her eyes defiantly questioning her cousin.

"Nymphadora, move away," said Alexis through clenched teeth, her eyes still locked on Moody with a threatening look. She was completely serious and no longer seemed like the usual laid-back young woman Remus had seen her to be. During that moment, Remus saw that Alexis Black seemed to have been consumed by hysteria. He'd never seen her that grim before.

"Don't bloody call me Nymphadora!" Tonks replied to her cousin. "Now why in the world are you pointing your wand at Mad-Eye? What happened?" Her voice grew louder as Remus noticed her frustration surfacing.

While Tonks and Alexis were glaring at each other, Remus could do nothing but watch. He truly didn't understand what was going on. How did Silvia end up injured and why was Alexis pointing her wand at Mad-Eye Moody of all people? Remus remained quiet while closing Silvia's wound just enough so that it wouldn't become fatal. He was now waiting for when they would head to St. Mungo's.

"Tonks," said Mad-Eye in a voice softer than usual.

"Do you want to explain or should I?" Alexis asked him, her tone as cold as ice.

"Alexis, drop it," Moody replied.

Tonks turned back and forth between her cousin and her old mentor, wondering what they were talking about. What had happened in the few seconds prior to Tonks and Remus' entrance? She had so many questions surfacing in her mind.

"Ian Rosier came," Alexis began to explain. "He was here, in this very room. Silvia was speaking with him about what I couldn't quite hear. He then attacked her and I ran in. Silvia was already unconscious and I fought with Rosier…"

"So he got away," Tonks interrupted. "But why are you aiming your wand at Mad-Eye?"

"I would have had him," Alexis said, raising her voice. "I would have had Rosier had Mad-Eye not intentionally injure my arm so he could get away!"

"Alexis," Moody called but he spoke no more.

Utterly confused, Tonks didn't know how to respond to her cousin's absurd claim. Tonks had always trusted Mad-Eye, and she knew he trusted her despite his many attempts at denying it. Mad-Eye would never think to harm them, even Alexis—Tonks clearly remembered him admitting he was rather fond of her. She also was sure that with Moody's magical eye, he could never miss. Tonks was then beginning to doubt her cousin's claim. Perhaps her cousin was just mad, or angered that she'd let Rosier escape and was looking for a reason to set her blame. Tonks had rarely seen Alexis duel and never knew how good she was at it.

"Lexi, maybe there has been a misunderstanding," Tonks sighed.

"It's not a misunderstanding," Alexis growled.

Remus had now noticed that the usually passive and carefree Alexis Black was simply a mask concealing the true, rash and stubborn nature present in everyone from the Black family. He could tell that she must have seen Mad-Eye do something that made her suspicious of him. Remus had always trusted Alexis and her reason behind everything. He now wondered if Tonks would hear her cousin out, or was her loyalty to Moody too great for her to even consider it.

"Alexis, it was an accident," Moody tried to defend himself calmly.

"It was intentional and you know it!" Alexis snapped. "If your cutting spell hadn't struck my hand, I would have stunned Rosier and we could have had him."

Moody growled and rolled his eyes. "Enough," he said. "I've had enough of this. You sort this out amongst yourselves. Ian Rosier had been here but he escaped and it wasn't me who'd hit Alexis with the cutting charm. Now, I'm going to return to Hogwarts." He grunted and maneuvered his way around, roughly pushing towards the door. "I still have classes to plan."

"Get back here," Alexis hissed, charging after him as if unable to control herself.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tonks snarled, roughly pulling her cousin back, pulling back instantly when she realized she'd gripped her cousin's injured arm with too much force. "Lexi, what is wrong with you?"

"I'm telling you. Moody intentionally let Rosier escape! He's siding with him!"

"Has paranoia gone to your head and driven you insane?" Tonks snapped at her cousin. "Lexi, this is _Mad-Eye Moody_ you're accusing!"

"Shut up, Tonks!"

"You have to be barking mad!"

"You're blinded by your loyalty to him!" Alexis barked.

"You're vile and unreasonable!" Tonks bellowed, her voice growing louder than Alexis'.

"You're stubbornly stupid!" Alexis growled—her threatening glare now made for Tonks.

He saw Tonks inhale a sharp breath as her bubblegum pink hair quickly shifted to a flaming red color—the same color it always turned when she was truly angered. Remus got up immediately, pushing himself between the two women before they began attacking each other with brute force alone. He had to hold Tonks back from jumping at Alexis and vice versa, making him feel weak in between the two furious women.

"What the bloody hell is your problem?" Tonks screamed.

"Your foolishness is my problem!" Alexis yelled.

"Nymphadora," Remus called, pushing Tonks back gently. "Alexis," he said, trying to keep her from coming at Tonks in her rage.

"Remus, let go," grunted Tonks. "It's stupid of you to doubt Mad-Eye!" she said to Alexis, trying to get past Remus and grab onto her cousin.

"It's stupid of you to have so much trust in him!"

"Enough!" said Remus once, forced to raise his voice.

"This is ridiculous," Tonks scoffed angrily.

"The both of you, enough, please," Remus sighed. "Calm down," said Remus, sighing again once he finally got the two to stand still and away from each other. He looked at them both, wondering what he was to do. He'd never seen Alexis so hysterical and he'd never seen Tonks so enraged at her beloved cousin. "We have to get to St. Mungo's," he finally said. Maybe some time would help calm them both. "Silvia needs medical attention, and so do you, Alexis."

* * *

><p>When Sirius Black returned from work that evening, he'd received an emergency owl from St. Mungo's, informing him that his very close friend, Silvia, and both his cousins were in St. Mungo's. Not knowing what had happened and what was going on other than the fact that they'd all visited the Riddle House, Sirius feared for the worse. He ran quickly back out of his flat, slamming the burgundy red door with a harsh bang. With haste, Sirius made his way down to the stone steps at the front entrance of the apartment building. He jumped to the side and vanished into an alley, piercing grey eyes looking around quickly for any spectators. Once he was sure there was none, Sirius disapparated on the spot with a faint <em>pop<em>.

"What the bloody hell could have happened now?" Sirius grumbled as he apparated straight into the main lobby of the magical hospital.

Quickly, he made his way through several small crowds of witches and wizards, reaching the reception counter where a kind-looking middle-aged woman sat with a crooked nose and a pair of rectangular spectacles rested upon her bridge.

"Where are Nymphadora Tonks, Alexis Black, and Silvia White resting?" Sirius asked.

"Auror White you say?" the reception nurse asked, seeming only to have heard the last bit of Sirius' question. "She came in with a broken collar bone and deep cut on her shoulder," the woman explained in a slow and oddly relaxed voice. She lazily leafed through a set of papers sitting in front of her. "Auror White is resting in a private room in the Spell Damage Ward. She's in room 417 on the fourth floor."

"What about Black and Tonks?" Sirius asked, growing impatient with the woman.

"They and Mr. Lupin should be in the same room," the woman replied casually.

"Oh sweet merlin," Sirius huffed, rushing off towards the lift. "Remus too?"

Sirius raced through the closing iron grills of the slow-moving hospital lift. He'd successfully body-slammed the opposite wall and bounced back, falling into the grills as the lift began to move. His impatience led him to press the button with the glowing number four on it repeatedly until finally, the dial dinged at the fourth floor.

After a quick run and several turns through the glistening white corridors of St. Mungo's filled with nurses and medical witches, Sirius finally spotted the small sign reading _Room 417_ just a short distance down the hall. As he neared the door which sat propped halfway open, Sirius began to hear loud noises, screaming, coming from the room. They were the unmistakable voices of his two cousins, screeching at the top of their lungs at one another.

"Give me a break," Sirius sighed, wondering what they were arguing about.

Remus' back was the first thing he saw when he pushed the door fully open. Sirius came in to find Silvia wide awake in her bed, staring at the two girls as they screamed at each other back and forth. Remus stood to the side, seeming helpless but fortunately unharmed as he tried to get them to calm down by words alone. Sirius noticed that Silvia had a visible bandage under her thin hospital blouse, covering her wound. Alexis' right hand was wrapped up in white gauze, seeming like she'd cut it pretty badly. There were several new bruises and scratches adorning Tonks arms, and luckily that was all the damage Sirius could spot.

"What happened?" he asked Remus as he was the only one who could explain to him. Silvia, pale and tired, was across the room and Sirius didn't want to be caught in the crossfire of a heated argument between two women from the Black family.

"When we came to the Riddle House to meet Alastor Moody there," Remus began to explain what seemed to be a complicated story. "Ian Rosier came in and fought with Silvia. Silvia confirmed she'd seen him and so did Alexis but Nymphadora and I have only gotten there. We found Alexis pointing her wand at Moody, claiming that he'd intentionally let Rosier escape. Nymphadora wouldn't believe the story nor even consider it, and…"

"And now they're arguing," Sirius finished for his best friend.

"Unfortunately, yes," Remus replied, keeping his voice low. "Nymphadora is defending Moody while Alexis is suspecting him."

"Have you or Silv gotten caught in any misfire yet?" Sirius asked, taking this argument between his two baby cousins as a joke.

"No," said Remus, shaking his head. The look on Remus' face suggested that he knew Sirius was taking this argument lightly and that was his mistake. "I'm afraid there will be trouble," he said.

"I know what I saw, Nymphadora!" Alexis screamed, unnoticing that Sirius had entered the room. Her dangerous eyes were fixated on Tonks and Tonks' vivid green eyes were on her.

"For the last time, don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks shrieked, her voice growing raspy from yelling so much. She didn't understand why their argument had gotten so intense. Usually, when she and Alexis had a disagreement, they would bicker lightly but then walk off. Screaming at each other wasn't something that happened often or at all.

Alexis ignored her. "If I could trust your ridiculous claim of Crouch Jr.'s reappearance, you could at least give my _warning_ of your traitorous mentor a thought!"

"You're just being stubborn and you didn't know what you saw! You were dueling; it's hard to spot everything in a duel! A skilled ex-auror like Mad-Eye wouldn't miss his target!"

"Exactly!" Alexis huffed.

Upon seeing the raging and slightly mad fire of determination in both his cousin's eyes, Sirius finally realized that their argument wasn't something to be taken lightly. It worried him. Alexis and Tonks had never fought like this before. Sure they had many disagreements—it was a part of life as cousins—but they never screamed and glared at each other with dangerous eyes.

"Moony, you talk to Tonks and calm her down. I got Lexi," said Sirius, searching for a solution to this madness.

"I've never seen Nymphadora this angry before," said Remus, unable to understand why Alexis and Tonks were acting hysterically. Could it be their loyalty in their senses alone?

"The last time I saw Lexi screaming like this…" Sirius began but suddenly trailed off as if he was treading upon a memory he didn't want to recall.

"Moody is a skilled duelist and he would never miss. He was aiming for my hand, not Rosier. He was helping Rosier escape!" Alexis reasoned.

"You can't be sure! Alexis Black, you can't see everything that goes on in a duel! You're an Unspeakable, not an auror!" Tonks shrieked.

For some reason, Remus, Sirius, and Silvia all knew that the expression of shock and anger on Alexis' face had suggested that Tonks crossed the clearly drawn line. In a fury of anger, the two cousins exchanged one final promising dangerous glare before turning from each other and storming out of the room. They walked in different directions in the hallway and Sirius was torn between what to do. They seemed like children, bickering, but yet there was an underlying dread to their argument in which he just couldn't explain. He didn't know whether to follow them or let them calm down first.

"Nymphadora!" Remus called, running off after his girlfriend without hesitation.

Sirius was about to run after Alexis, knowing that Alexis had always needed a little help calming down ever since her early childhood. When he got to the door of the room however, he spotted Marrick coming in with confusion in his eyes. Sirius immediately thought that now Alexis was grown up and a lover would be of more comfort to her than a cousin would be.

"Go after Lexi, she'll need some help calming down," said Sirius.

He trusted Tonks with Remus. There was no one else in the world he'd trust with Tonks other than Remus for the Marauder knew how to calm his cousin in those times. As for Marrick, he wasn't sure if Marrick knew exactly what to do and so decided to give him some pointers.

"Let her walk off her anger for a while," said Sirius. "Oh and make sure she doesn't end up vandalizing something in her rage." He'd remembered clearly the day when Alexis had set fire to an abandoned shack after growing angry at life and herself because of her parents' death.

Marrick nodded, his face struck with worry. At least he loves her, Sirius thought as the young man ran off in the direction Alexis had gone. Now Sirius only hoped that things on Remus' end were going well and that he could calm an enraged Nymphadora Tonks down.

* * *

><p>Car horns were blaring at them while people were grumbling about the reckless young woman who was storming down the crowded street, pushing people aside and uncaring of moving vehicles as she raged onwards. Alexis paid no attention to where she was heading. All she knew was that she wanted to find a place to vent as soon as possible and so with every step she took, she purposely placed as much force and anger into it as possible, hoping to relieve her pent up frustration before it became too much.<p>

Behind her, Alexis hadn't noticed the worried young man weaving his way through the street just to follow her. Marrick's strides were long and his pace fast as he tried to keep an eye on her but remain a short distance away. He'd taken to mind what Sirius had said, how Alexis needed some time to walk off her anger but he also needed to watch her less she decided to vent her anger upon something.

After what felt like an hour had passed, Alexis finally stopped at a less crowded street, taking deep, calming breaths under a streetlight on the sidewalk. Marrick drew a breath and made his way up to her. He took her hand from behind and gently turned her around, surprising her. It appears the usually attentive Alexis Black was temporarily blinded by her emotions. She was too distracted to notice he'd been following her for so long.

"Marrick," she sighed, putting on a smile which he knew was false.

He held her face gently. "I heard what happened. You got in an argument with Tonks."

"I know what I saw. Mad-Eye was intentionally letting Rosier escape." She paused when Marrick seemed to have grown quiet. "Don't tell me you're defending Moody as well," she said.

"No," he said immediately and shook his head. Marrick had heard part of their extremely loud argument as he was heading down the corridor towards the hospital ward earlier, and he'd heard enough to make out the reason for their disagreement. "I'm not defending Moody. I'm not siding with anyone."

Unexpectedly, Alexis scoffed. "Of course, Mister Kingston, taking the safe road," she said, tilting her head back and looking up at the setting sun for a moment.

"I'm not taking the safe road," he retorted. Marrick suddenly stopped himself from raising his voice, not wanting to start yet another argument with his dearly beloved. "I have my reasons," he said in a softer voice.

"Spit it out," she said.

Marrick sighed. "Love, you know Tonks had always idolized Moody. He's her mentor but he's almost like a father to her," he explained. "She's unyieldingly loyal and trusting of him, despite constantly making fun of him. It would be hard for Tonks to think of Moody any other way and to tell her that the man she'd trusted is untrustworthy…"

"I know, but she's too stubborn to even consider the fact that Moody may be up to something," Alexis replied. She huffed. "What about you then?"

"I trust Moody too…but I also trust in you," he added before she grew angry at him. "I know you'd never lie about such things and that you have your reason. We need to find out more about this though. Perhaps, we should try to find out Moody's relationship to Rosier?"

Alexis nodded, thinking about his suggestion. "The only thing I can think of between Moody and Rosier is that Moody had arrested Evan Rosier and put him in Azkaban."

Gradually, Marrick had ebbed closer to Alexis and soon his arms had weaved around her waist, holding her close while speaking to her in a gentle voice. "Ian Rosier has to be related to Evan Rosier. You're an Unspeakable, love. If there's anyone who could find hidden information about the Rosier family, it's you. Have you forgotten you have access to everything in the Department of Mysteries?" he asked, smirking at her, calming her down.

Finally, Marrick got Alexis to smirk again. Though her eyes still held an undying look of trouble and there was still weight on her shoulders, she returned his smirk with one of her own. Alexis traced patterns on the collar of his sleek black robe while speaking.

"If I need any help, you'll be there, right?" she asked, seeking reassurance.

"Always," Marrick replied.

His eyes then trailed to her injured right hand which was wrapped up in bandages. He held her hand and caressed it tenderly, kissing her softly as he did so. Marrick's kisses trailed from her hand up to her neck. He feathered her neck with kisses and finally settled for one upon her lips, a much longer and emotional kiss.

"Does your hand hurt?" he asked gently when they finally pulled apart, remembering they were in a street full of people and was not alone in their private world.

"No," she lied.

Marrick looked at her with a knowing look. After a moment, she finally sighed and nodded, admitting that it did pain a little. As if by instinct, Marrick held her tightly in his arms and together, they began walking back down the street, heading to his flat.

* * *

><p>When she stormed out of St. Mungo's, Tonks had subconsciously made her way into The Leaky Cauldron and crossed the boundary into the magical world. She was then storming down the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley, her hands balled into fists and her knuckles turning white as she huffed, trying to calm her frustration but to no avail.<p>

Behind her, Remus was following closely, however she walked too fast and through too many crowds for him to catch up to her. Remus continued squeezing his way through, calling her name as he went. She never once turned around, but he continued to call, for Remus knew that when angry, Tonks had no self-control. If she continued to walk, she'd continue to think about the reason behind her anger and never calm down. He needed to hold her back.

"Nymphadora!" Remus called. "Dora," he called again, drawing a breath as he finally caught up to her and took hold of her hand.

"Remus! For god's sake!" Tonks replied angrily, trying to shake him off.

His grip was unyielding and instead of letting her go, Remus turned her around and held her tightly in his arms. Tonks fought him for a moment but she relented and he could feel her drop into him, sighing and resting in his embrace. They were quiet for a moment and Remus continued to hold her, unsure how he would make her feel any better.

"I know I crossed the line when arguing with Lexi," said Tonks in a calmer voice. "But what she said about Mad-Eye…it's just unbelievable."

Remus knew that Alexis always had a good reason behind everything she does but he had also seen Moody as nothing short of a trustworthy man. It was hard to pick a side in that situation. He had to think for a moment, searching for words to speak to Tonks that would hopefully help her forget about the huge argument she and her cousin had gotten into.

"Nymphadora my love," Remus spoke. His voice was as soft as velvet, wrapping Tonks' heart in gentle words. "Calm down first," he said. "Take deep breaths, come on."

Tonks drew a deep breath, listening to him. "I am calm."

Remus nodded. "Perhaps…you should have at least given some though into Lexi's claim instead of stubbornly denying it entirely and angering her." The argument that had erupted between Alexis and Tonks was something of a shock to Remus. He knew Tonks was easily angered but he never expected her to be so short with her own cousin. As for Alexis, he now knew that she can be very rash and temperamental like everyone else with relations to the Black family. She just usually doesn't show that side of herself.

"I can't even consider the thought of Moody being dishonest to us," said Tonks.

"You really do trust him, don't you love?" Remus asked, leading her over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and taking a seat. He'd secretly hoped that the many bright colors and assortments of ice cream would be of help to him in calming Tonks down.

She nodded without words.

Just then, Florean Fortescue came out to serve them. He was a kind-faced man a lot older than Remus. Mr. Fortescue smiled at them from behind his order pad. "What can I get for you?"

His smile quivered slightly when he spotted Remus, having read the paper and seen the article about him being a werewolf. However, the smile remained small once Mr. Fortescue remembered how often Remus visited his shop and how the weary young man always seemed to kind and gentle. Surely it wasn't all an act to hide the ferocious beast inside.

"The usual Triple-Chocolate Fudge Sundae, Mr. Lupin?" he asked.

"Um, yes please, and a Banana Split, thank you Mr. Fortescue," said Remus amiably.

"Pleasure. It'll be up in a bit," Mr. Fortescue replied, his smile growing slightly as he nodded to Remus and to Tonks.

After Mr. Fortescue had returned inside the shop, Tonks propped her head up on her hand while looking distantly down the cobbled street. She sighed once and spoke again. "It's unfair for people to act more hesitant and wary around you just because you're a werewolf."

"I've grown used to it," said Remus. "But Mr. Fortescue is very kind."

"Still…not all werewolves are bad and those narrow-minded people need to get that ruddy stick out of their arse," Tonks grumbled.

Remus smiled, looking at her, knowing that she wanted to change the conversation. "Don't change the conversation," he said. "Love, can you tell me more about Moody?"

Tonks sighed. The corners of her lips moved upwards slightly and she looked back at him. "What can I tell you?"

"Your unchangeable trust in him," said Remus, wanting to know just how Tonks had come to trust the old auror so much.

Before Tonks spoke, Mr. Fortescue had reappeared with two bowls of ice cream, one a colorful Banana Split for Tonks while the other was a mountain of chocolate for Remus. Remus reached into his pocket and paid the many with a cordial smile, receiving an approving nod from Mr. Fortescue. He then returned to his conversation with Tonks.

"My treat," said Remus, seeing that with the ice cream and color set in front of her, Tonks' beautiful smile finally appeared. "Carry on," said Remus smiling as he took a large bite.

"Thank you," said Tonks, eating slowly as she began to explain to him the story between her and Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. "The reason why I trust Mad-Eye so much is because we've been through so much together during and after auror training. When we first met, I was late and obviously gave the old codger a very bad impression of myself. He said I was too…lippy, meaning impudent, I think," said Tonks, chuckling. "He didn't like me very much but was forced to take me on several missions as a part of training. Eventually—well you could imagine—the missions made him like me more. I saved his life once," Tonks paused, trying to recall the exact details. Remus was listening aptly to her while eating his ice cream, his eyes on her instead of the delicious treat on the table. "I tripped, fell, knocked him over, and incidentally saving him from a curse. We were arrest a madman at the time, a psycho accused of murder—pretty big arrest for an auror trainee if you ask me."

Tonks paused and took another bite of her ice cream. She'd rarely told others about how her auror training days went, but around Remus, she was too comfortable and didn't think twice about it. He was aptly listening to her speak and she was sitting there, telling her boyfriend about a part of her past while eating ice cream. The previous anger and frustration inside her had quickly been relieved by Remus Lupin.

"What really made me like him and trust him was this one mission we went on," Tonks continued again. "News of an ex-auror turned criminal showed up and Mad-Eye jumped at the first chance he got to arrest the bloke. Turns out that man had once been Mad-Eye's friend, his partner in the Auror Department. Mad-Eye was betrayed by him, that's why he's so paranoid and crazy now. Because of that man, Moody lost his wife…"

Remus had nearly choked on his ice cream upon Tonks' words. "Alastor had a wife?"

She nodded, reaching over to rub his back as Remus wiped his mouth with the napkin beside his hand and leaned in to speak with her. "Mad-Eye's wife, Elizabeth, was killed by his best friend many years ago. Moody said that he'd lost her when he was still very young as an auror and that changed his perspective on the job and on life forever."

"I never knew that," Remus gaped.

"Me neither. I never expected him to have a wife," Tonks admitted. "He showed me pictures of her and she was beautiful. They were fitting in the photograph, and it's a shame that he lost her," said Tonks, growing sad for her mentor's loss. "His best friend, the man who betrayed him, was Thomas Hale. Hale and Mad-Eye went to school together and became aurors together. Mad-Eye never knew that Hale was so easily consumed by greed. When they went on a mission together, Hale was paid by the convicted criminal to aid him and set him free. Of course, as brilliant as always, Mad-Eye figured out the plan. In an attempt to get Mad-Eye to listen to him and let it go, Hale kidnapped Mad-Eye's wife." Tonks paused. Remus could see the memory of when Moody had told her this story flickering through her mind and the images he'd shown her appearing inside her head. "They got in a struggle…and in the aftermath, Mad-Eye lost his left eye…and his wife…"

"Alastor had really been through a lot," said Remus, still in shock from Alastor Moody's history which he never had a clue about. "He hid it all so well." Remus always knew that there had to be a reason behind Moody's obsessive paranoia. He always believed there was a reason for everything. However, never did Remus expect such a story.

"He thought he'd never trust anyone ever again," said Tonks. "But I finally got him to trust me. It took a lot to get him to trust me. Once he did, I felt…well you know, if a man like that was willing to trust someone like me, I should trust him. And so…"

"And so your respect and loyalty to him became unwavering," said Remus, taking her hand. "That's why you got so upset when Alexis said he was untrustworthy."

Tonks nodded. "Mad-Eye would never betray us," she said.

Remus remained quiet. He didn't know what to say to her, if anything can be said at all. Tonks' trust in Mad-Eye Moody was unyielding and he'd be a fool to try and get her to think otherwise. But yet Remus also felt that there was a truth to Alexis' story. Alexis was not a liar and she knew what she saw, but Moody was also a trustworthy man.

"Let's not think about it anymore," said Remus. "Give it some time. Let fate run its course—it'll become much clearer that way. I'd rather worry over something tangible than something unseen," he told her.

Once again, Tonks nodded. They ate their ice creams in comfortable silence for a while. Eventually, Remus began finding ways to cheer Tonks up which consisted of him teasing her about her ice cream. In return, she'd tease him about his and the mountain of chocolate he had in front of him. He still hadn't even made a dent in it.

"You're the one to talk," said Tonks, smiling again. "My god Remus, how much chocolate can you eat?"

"Quite a lot actually," he replied, chuckling as he took another scoop of his ice cream. "Chocolate is the cure for everything."

Tonks grinned, forgetting momentarily about her troubles. She was too caught up in the charming young man across from her, his smile, his eyes, and everything about him. "If Remus Lupin ruled the world, all problems would be solved with chocolate," she said.

* * *

><p>The sun had long set and the moon had rose high into the pitch black night sky. Not many stars could be seen as that night, the looming grey clouds had covered them up. However, one star still shined brightly in the night, serving as a guiding light to many who bothered to look up. It was the Dog Star called Sirius.<p>

Silvia awoke after a short nap and the first thing she spotted was the night sky from her open window. Her eyes noticed the Sirius star immediately. She then turned around into her dark room lit by a single lamp at her bedside to find Sirius Black, her old flame and very close friend, half asleep while twirling his wand around, staring at a fixed point on the wall. Something about his presence there made her smile. She waved her hand in front of his eyes and he sat up with a start, grinning back at her. Silvia was entranced by that darkly handsome grin of his.

"Oh look, you're awake," said Sirius, cheerfully.

"Hello Sirius…you were here the entire time?" she asked.

He nodded. "I was going to chase after Lexi but Marrick has her. And if my guess is correct, Remus and Tonks should be at either his flat or mine, cuddling by now," he said, pretending to shiver at the thought of his cousin and best friend together.

"What about work?"

Sirius chuckled. "Of course you'd worry about my work."

"Well you only started working recently. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble."

"I get in trouble all the time, in case you haven't noticed," Sirius retorted.

"But this is work," Silvia replied, concerned for simple matters and for him.

"I've confounded my boss," he replied, chuckling again.

Silvia huffed, face-palming herself. All in one motion, she swept back her beautiful dark brown hair, looking at him with soft, chocolaty brown eyes that made Sirius practically melt under her gaze. He never openly acknowledged this to her but her eyes alone were enough to bind him—but then there were her full red lips, her enchanting smile, and so much more.

He swallowed once and blinked several times to regain himself. "If it makes you feel any better, I've come up with a legitimate reason for my boss to allow me to leave work early. I am not in any trouble at all," he grinned.

"What'd you tell him?"

Sirius became somewhat nervous now that he thought about the excuse he came up with. "It's kind of funny actually," he laughed nervously. "It just kind of came to my mind."

"And what is this…_reason_?" Silvia asked, smirking but narrowing her eyes on him.

"Nothing," said Sirius quickly. "Nothing at all."

"Sirius, are you blushing?" Silvia asked, surprised and amused.

"No," he denied vehemently. "Why would I be blushing?" He cleared his throat, searching for something else to talk about. "So um…what exactly did you see at the Riddle House?" he ended up asking.

"Nothing," she replied, smirking, furthering her hold on him with her enchanting beauty.

Sirius made a face.

"Alright," she said, sighing and rolling her eyes. "I can't tell you whether to side with Tonks or Lexi, because I was knocked out before Moody even came in. At the Riddle House, I indeed encountered Ian Rosier. He was there to get something it appears. We argued a bit and it turned physical when he tried to leave. I began stunning him but I was knocked out shortly afterwards. The most I saw was Lexi's feet when she stormed in. She broke in through the barrier Ian had placed upon the door."

He was carefully processing her words through his mind, often distracted by her seductive Spanish accent that laced through her speech. Sirius scratched the trimmed goatee on his chin and stroked his clean moustache as he looked back at her.

"What was he there to get?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know. I didn't see," she replied truthfully.

"This is most interesting," said Sirius, pensively.

"Yes it is," she agreed.

"Silv, how could a brilliant auror who could easily put Sirius Black in his place, lose to the likes of Ian Rosier without trickery involved?" he asked.

"Trickery wasn't necessary, Sirius," said Silvia softly. Her eyes were suddenly down casted and she looked troubled. She was wringing her hands, avoiding his eyes.

"Why is that?"

"Because Ian Rosier is my ex-husband," she answered. "We divorced many years ago."

Sirius' jaw may have dropped an entire foot as he stared at her, dumbfounded. "You were married?" he asked loudly, unbelieving.

"And divorced," she replied, continuing to grow more troubled.

Like his usual self, Sirius was about to go on a rampage of questions. He'd never known that she was married, furthermore, divorced, especially with someone like Ian Rosier. During the twelve years absent from her life, Sirius only just found out what she'd done with her time. She'd forgotten about him entirely, gone and got married, and then divorced. Sirius was utterly surprised and for some reason, the name Ian Rosier was more familiar than it'd ever been.

Sensing that something was up, Sirius scooted the wooden chair closer to her bed. Unable to stop himself, he took her hand and held it to his chest. For a fleeting moment, Sirius was reminded of how they'd been many years ago, before Sirius had gone to Azkaban, before they broke up. He stopped himself before his mind wandered too far. Sirius scolded himself, reminding himself that he now longs for nothing other than freedom while Silvia longed for a family and a stable life. Their desires were too different. And so, Sirius put aside his reminiscent thoughts and continued on with what they'd been talking about.

"Can I trust you, Sirius?" she asked him softly.

He nodded. "Always," he said gently to her.

"Do you remember how when we broke up, it wasn't on very good terms?" she asked, reminding him of one of his life's greatest regrets.

"Yes," he said, nodding slowly.

"I will always regret this…but after our break up, I came to Ian for support. Ian Rosier was a Slytherin boy in your year, Sirius."

"We went to school with him?" Sirius gawked.

Silvia nodded. She continued to wring her hands as if it was easing her uneasiness. "Nothing happened between him and me then. Several years later, as you know, we got back together a second time, as adults, after we left school. You were a part of the Order of the Phoenix then, and though we didn't see each other often…" she suddenly paused.

Silvia looked into his eyes and placed the palm of her hand onto his cheek, holding his face gently. Sirius reveled at her touched, unable to fight back the flowing memories of their past. He never showed it, but the past he shared with Silvia had always lingered in the back of his mind, like a ghost that refused to rest.

"I loved you, Sirius. After you were taken to Azkaban…I sort of lost it. Then once again, Ian was there to comfort me and in spite of things, I ended up marrying him."

"Silv," said Sirius softly.

"We were married for three years and although I had never truly loved him as much as I did you, something _did_ develop." She looked down again as if ashamed to face him. "When I saw him again today, I couldn't bring myself to hurt him, just like how I could never hurt you."

He placed his hand over hers, pressing her warm palm closer to his cheek. Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, once again wishing he'd tried harder in defending his name thirteen years ago. If he'd never gone to Azkaban, maybe things would be different.

"What made you finally divorce him after three years?" Sirius asked.

"When I saw you again while guarding Azkaban," she answered.

He suddenly looked up at her, wondering why he had no such memory during his time of madness. "I can't remember…"

"Of course you can't. It was Remus' birthday and you were too busy rocking back and forth and staring at the wall to notice the auror standing outside your jail cell…crying…"

Never once did Sirius doubt her words. In his life, there weren't many people Sirius trusted, but of the small amount he had, Silvia was one of them. During his stay at Azkaban, he never remembered her visiting him, but he did remember the days whenever one of his close friend and family's birthday came. He was most insane and depressed during those days.

"And I began unable to tolerate Ian Rosier's pureblood mania any longer," Silvia added. "So, after three years, my marriage ended there."

"Do you still love him?" Sirius asked solemnly.

With confidence, Silvia shook her head. "Some feelings disappear with time." She looked at him, looked deeper into his haunted grey eyes. "But some feelings…are strong enough that they never fade," she said, gazing deeply into his stare.

"Rosier is involved in both Tonks' case with Crouch Jr. and Remus' suspected murder case," said Sirius, searching for things to distract his thoughts from complicated human romantic relationships. "Is Rosier a trustworthy person?"

Silvia hesitated. "No," she finally said. "And…he knew the Crouch family," she added.

"Does Lexi or Tonks know?"

"No…I haven't told any of them any of this. I thought I'd put it all behind me."

Sirius nodded and slowly stood up, picking up his thin overcoat from the foot of her bed and slipping it on. "I have to tell them. Rosier may be the connection in both their cases."

Silvia nodded. "Wait, Sirius," she called and he paused in his motion. "Can you…"

He knew exactly what she wanted to ask. "I won't tell," he said. Without thinking, Sirius bent down closer to her and leaned in. He sighed. "What we had…"

"We're too different now," she said, smiling wistfully and reading him like a book.

Sirius managed a humorless smile and nodded. "Yes, but it doesn't mean we can't become closer of friends," he said and his smile turned genuine. "I'll be back." Suddenly, Sirius placed a gentle kiss upon her head and smiled against her skin. "I promise."

* * *

><p>Earlier that night after Remus and Tonks had returned to Tonks' flat after a long walk around Diagon Alley, Alexis had returned, alone, to get some of her things. Remus was unable to do anything as another argument broke out between the two cousins, although that time with no screaming. They were simply exchanging words through clenched teeth.<p>

After Alexis left, it took Remus some time to calm Tonks down again. He wondered why there was so much tension between the two cousins over the concept of trust. In the end, Remus concluded that the lofty concept of trust must be very important to both women for them to not hesitate in allowing a rift to get between each other like that.

Late into the night, Remus and Tonks were lying together on the long dark grey sofa in Tonks' living room. Her head was rested on his chest as she closed her eyes, listening to the beating of his heart and drifting into serenity. Often Remus would place a kiss upon her skin as if it was a force of habit. He laid there, tranquil as they talked about anything and everything.

Just when Remus and Tonks were both about to drift off into a sound sleep, the burgundy red door of Tonks' flat suddenly opened and in walked Sirius. He didn't seem surprise or bothered by the sight of them lying with each other like that and it surprised both Remus and Tonks that Sirius wasn't even making fun of them. They sat up and saw that there was a troubled look in his eyes that Sirius refused to admit to.

"Hello Padfoot."

"Wotcher Sirius," said Tonks right after Remus.

"Evening to you," said Sirius, rushing into his room.

Remus got up and followed him while Tonks remained at the sofa, turning on the muggle television set with the grey remote control that she almost hadn't seen lying at her foot on the dark grey sofa.

"Something wrong, Padfoot?" Remus asked.

"Nothing's wrong, not really," said Sirius, walking out with a small rucksack of clothes. "I've spoken more with Silvia," he said. "She revealed to me that Ian Rosier was once in our year at school, a Slytherin. Do you remember, Moony?"

Remus furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "I don't…but I've always felt that he was familiar," he replied.

"Well I believe her," said Sirius. "She also told me that Ian Rosier was close to the Crouch family…"

Tonks turned back to face him from the sofa, revealing to him that she'd been listening the entire time despite pretending to be watching TV. "So the Crouch Jr. Investigation and the Bryce Murder Investigation are both connected by this man," she said.

"Exactly," Sirius replied. "Think on that. There's more to this case than you're aware of."

"Where are you headed?" Tonks asked, noticing Sirius' bag.

"I'm returning to St. Mungo's and staying there to keep Silvia company. I figured it'd be a few days until she is released so I got some of my things," he told them.

"When'd you become so thoughtful Padfoot?" Remus asked, standing beside Tonks.

"I've always been thoughtful you dolt," said Sirius, chuckling at his friend, trying to not turn their life too grim with all that was going on. "Where is Lexi?"

Tonks turned to face the TV again. "Lexi came home earlier to get some of her things. I suspect she was going over to Marrick's but she said she's heading to Hogsmeade," said Remus.

"What's Lexi doing in Hogsmeade?" Sirius asked as he headed out the door.

Remus shrugged and after Sirius had left, he returned to his seat on the sofa beside Tonks. She turned to him, seeming thoughtful and paying no attention to the television.

"Rosier links these two investigations together," she said, looking to him. "There's more than meets the eye in this case…"

* * *

><p>Responses:<p>

Divina Serit: Thank you so much! And yes, I love how Sirius interacts and though he is caring, he still loves to annoy people too. I like writing those parts. Hope you'll keep reading!

RemusTonksFan: That's what I think of Remus exactly! Thank you! And I have problems writing scenes where Remus shows his love openly for Tonks because well, it's Remus. I'm hoping it'll seem more natural when they're alone. You'll understand in the future hopefully. Thanks for supporting and I hope you'll continue, thanks a bunch!

TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish: Well I'm not too sure, I have the 2010 version and I went into the settings and set it like that. And yes, I get angry at my dictionary too. In Word, I went in and added all the Wizarding Terms like muggles into it. And I don't mind when you point out my mistakes, it makes me a better writer and you're actually very kind about my mistakes, thank you. And I agree that Remus and Tonks is more like an action kind of couple, showing their love through actions rather than words...Anyways, thank you so much! Thank you thank you thank you!

ajlover: Hello! Thank you for supporting and reading! And yes, What In The World did Moody do now? Sirius would be so bummed if Silvia was hurt but I think he'd be pretty pissed too ;D and thank you, I hope you'll like my future chapters.

CallMeTony: I always wanted to write Lexi as a smart character because I want to create the irony that she figures things out xD, I don't really know what I want to do that but I did. And I also like writing about the Black sisters (Bellatrix, Andromeda, Narcissa, etc.) so I hope you don't mind a sub-plot about them throughout my stories. Anyways, thanks for supporting and reviewing! Thanks so much!


	13. The Lofty Concept of Trust

**Author's Note:**

I just realized that this story is going to be very long with the pace I'm going at. I hope you all don't mind. :] Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and supporting. xD

Oh I almost forgot, um to everyone who celebrates this Holiday, Happy Easter! And to those who don't, I hope you have a fun week! xD And also, as a side note and complaint, I've been waiting so long for Pottermore, I'm dying in the wait! Does anyone know when it will really be up? :( Thank you :]

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><p><strong>Chapter 13 – The Lofty Concept of Trust<strong>

Weeks after the chaos at the Quidditch World Cup had taken place the Ministry of Magic was still in a state of utter chaos. Most Ministry employees looked haggard and drawn, a result of overworking and staying late on even days they were supposed to have off. People were grumpy and touchy and made a scene over the smallest of matters. As Tonks carefully maneuvered her way around the Auror Department, trying hard not to have anyone scream at her that day, she realized how intolerable her co-workers were when they are in desperate need of sleep. Even Tonks herself had become more drawn and grim—her usual mane of vivid pink hair had fallen back to mousy brown by mid-day.

"Bloody hell, I want to go home," she moaned.

She was making her way down the hallway, an armful of papers and folders unbalancing her when she spotted Silvia coming out of the lift. Tonks' eyes lit up—she'd needed to see Silvia to discuss with her about their case involving Crouch Jr. and especially about Rosier's involvement. When Tonks saw the look on Silvia's face, her excitement dropped however. The Spanish beauty looked downright irritated beyond her wits as she marched out of the lift, a thin folder clamped between her elbow and ribcage. From inside, Tonks could hear the shrill voice of a woman screaming about something.

"Bad day?" she asked Silvia, joining her as they walked down the high-ceiling, brightly-lit, and elegant corridor of Level Two together.

"It was utterly terrible!" Silvia replied, her thick Spanish accent making it even more difficult to understand her through her frustrated tone.

"Where'd you come from?" Tonks asked. "I was looking for you all over the department. I couldn't find either you or Marrick," Tonks complained.

"I was down at the Department of Mysteries," Silvia replied. "In case you've forgotten, we're working closely with them for this case. As for Marrick, I asked him to go pick up the reports for me on any sightings of Crouch Jr. since he was passing by that office."

"Oh," Tonks replied. "What'd you find?"

"Well first I found one Alexis Black in a _very_ bad mood. I caught her screaming at Bode and their department was so quiet, her voice echoed through the whole place. Honestly Tonks, Lexi's mood is affected by your disagreement."

"What am I supposed to do?" she scoffed, pretending that her mood wasn't affected at all. Usually, when she was in a foul mood, Lexi would talk to her. However, seeing that they are both not speaking to one another, Tonks' mood had significantly worsened as the day went on.

"Sort these things out. We need to work with her too and I'm not going to be your owl sending messages back and forth between you two," said Silvia.

"Just because Alexis is in a foul mood does not mean I should speak with her about anything," Tonks retorted, walking faster aimlessly down the hall with Silvia close behind.

"You two are cousins," Silvia called, rushing after her. "You're closer than sisters. Act like mature adults and sort things out before they get completely out of hand!"

"It's Alexis' fault she's persistent on being angry with me," Tonks retorted indignantly. "Ugh," she grunted. "Enough of this, what did you find out?"

Silvia huffed and opened the thin folder. She began to flip through several of the pages and it was then that Tonks realized she must've used an Optical Shrink charm to make the folder look smaller and thinner despite holding at least seven-hundred pages of information. Tonks watched as she flipped through another hundred pages before landing on a very lengthy report written in her cousin's neat and boxy handwriting.

"During the time after You-Know-Who's downfall, a Death Eater named Evan Rosier was arrested and killed. Evan is the biological brother, older brother by eight years to be exact, of Ian Rosier, our only witness in this discovery of Franklin Bryce's corpse. Information on Evan Rosier proves that it would be wise of us to investigate the entire Rosier family as they too were known to be obsessed with blood purity and was likely to have supported You-Know-Who."

"So I was right," said Tonks. "We have to investigate Ian Rosier."

"Yes, but there's someone else we should speak with beforehand."

"Who?"

"Mad-Eye."

Tonks huffed. "Really?" she asked, sounding as if she knew where Silvia was going at.

"I'm not siding with Lexi so don't go off on that," Silvia added shortly. "We have to speak with him because he was the one who _caught_ Evan Rosier and killed him in the struggle. Tell me what's more reliable: a bunch of lying pureblood obsessed maniacs or Moody?"

"Moody," Tonks agreed. "But wait…Mad-Eye's at Hogwarts right now. So you mean to just go in there and speak with him with all the kids running around?"

"I don't see anything wrong with that," Silvia replied. "We'll just owl Dumbledore and tell him we're coming in the evening. We can also visit Harry and all the kids," she smiled.

"Brilliant," said Tonks, lighting up at a chance to visit Harry. She really was beginning to miss him, her screaming wakeup alarm. Tonks then thought about how Harry usually woke up from nightmares pertaining to Voldemort and other foreboding events. "We could perhaps speak with Mad-Eye about all the strange things that happened coincidentally too," she added.

Silvia nodded in agreement. They had just turned on their heels and were heading back to the Auror Department to owl Dumbledore when Marrick suddenly got off a very crowded lift, looking as if he was about to decapitate the next person who irritated him. He had an armful of heavy, hard-bound books with him while wearing an exasperated look upon his handsome face.

"Silv, Tonks, been lookin' all over for you," said Marrick. His speech was slightly slurred in his weariness. When Tonks gazed into Marrick's wide-gazing eyes, she suddenly felt relaxed as if by magic they had eased her soul.

"Where've you been, Marrick?" Tonks asked. "And why do you look so…knackered?"

"I've been all over the place," he sighed. "Worse, I'm stuck filing all the complaints because Dawlish wrote in sick—too much work isn't good for his fragile body."

Tonks snorted while Silvia had to stifle a laugh.

"Everyone's stressed and moody…and Lexi looks about ready to explode."

"Trust me mate, she'd already exploded on Bode when I was there," said Silvia.

Marrick shrugged, unsure of what to say about his extremely vexed girlfriend. "Oh yes, here are your files," he said, sorting through a file of papers Tonks had just noticed was levitating behind him and handed them to Silvia.

Immediately, Tonks took half the files and along with Silvia, flipped through them at a very fast speed. Their eyes caught the key words upon the reports and with each page they flipped through, their hopes of getting any improvement on their case diminished a little more.

"Thanks Marrick," said Silvia.

"These are all rubbish though," said Tonks as Marrick shrugged once again. "Not one legitimate sighting…all paranoid witches and wizards mistaking Crouch Jr. for their stupid hedge!" she exclaimed, shutting the files with a dramatic clap.

"You can't expect him to be sighted everywhere," said Silvia while nodding to Marrick, acknowledging that he had to run again to sort out all his other files.

"It's like he'd just fallen off the face of the Earth," said Tonks.

"I guess there's nothing to do but to talk to Moody and continue on with our track of investigating Rosier," said Silvia.

"Yeah," said Tonks now pensive.

Her twinkling dark green eyes grew distant as she began to wonder about what to ask her old mentor when she saw him again. Surely Mad-Eye would be very annoyed having to answer so many questions for them—he would also be very paranoid about everything too so Tonks would have to filter a lot out. She sighed. She then thought about returning to Hogwarts castle for Moody was there. The thought of Hogwarts castle had suddenly reminded her of something; someone to be more exact. She thought of Remus and how he longed to see the castle again. Seeing that she'd been so strained by work lately that she'd had no time at all to see him. An idea suddenly hatched inside her head. Perhaps she could get Remus to come to Hogwarts with her. His brilliant mind would help her in her case and with him there, she could also squeeze in some time with him. Two birds with one stone, Tonks thought.

* * *

><p>After they'd finished reassuring Remus that he was no trouble to them at all, Remus, Tonks, and Silvia finally arrived a fair distance outside of Hogwarts ground by apparition. The rest of the journey they did by foot and treaded through the calm Scottish Highlands, pass the all-wizard town of Hogsmeade, to finally arrive at the front gates of the beautiful and very ancient castle that had once been their home.<p>

Like always, Filch had come to the gates to greet them upon Dumbledore's request despite the grouchy squib's great displeasure. When his eyes met with each of them, Filch muttered several subtle groans against the three former students. Tonks had to resist sticking her tongue out at the old man while Remus and Silvia simply smiled cordially and walked by. Inside the ancient grounds, they were met with the old and familiar slopping lawns, greenhouses, and vegetable patches of the grounds. There was Hagrid's wooden cabin not far from where they were, smoke rising from its chimney. The scent of home enveloped them.

"I can't believe I'm back already," Remus chuckled to Tonks while Silvia walked a short distance ahead of them, giving the loving couple their time alone.

"We'll find more excuses to return," said Tonks. Her mood had greatly increased with Remus' presence and the previous strains of her day seemed to have vanished completely.

"Don't find silly excuses just because of me," said Remus, knowing she only wanted to cheer him up after knowing he was saddened by the thought of no longer returning to the beautiful castle.

"I won't," said Tonks, smirking. She then gazed up at the castle before entering through the Entrance Hall. "It's beautiful though, isn't it?" she said, recalling so many memories.

Remus nodded. He too was recalling a sea of fragile memories. They were all memories of the good old days in those warm, sunlit classrooms filled with the chatter of innocent school children and the scratching of the quills. It was strange. During those times, they all wished they could grow up as fast as possible and get into the real world. But yet, now they all were, adults in the real world, and they were longing to return to those golden school days where each day promised a new memory, a new adventure, and a good laugh.

"A word for the wise," said Remus, gazing at the inside of the lovely castle now. It was filled with moving paintings, marvelous statues, the many ghosts, and the constantly changing staircases. "Don't grow up too fast," he said.

Tonks nodded that time, speechless as she traveled up the main staircase again. Together, Remus, Tonks, and Silvia headed for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Remus was all too familiar with this path and proceeded to lead them, taking a short cut through the castle and feeling as if they were students all over again.

As Tonks walked, she couldn't help but peek into many of the classrooms. There she saw students adorning house robes sitting behind desks and doing various things—actually listening, sleeping, doodling, whispering, etc. Tonks smiled. She could remember those simple days where all she really had to worry about was finishing her homework and not getting in trouble—or caught—yet again. Now life had become so difficult.

When Tonks looked back, she realized she'd fallen behind. Remus was a fair distance ahead of her, smiling back at her while waiting with Silvia. He held out a hand and Tonks chuckled as she rushed forward to take it and they continued their walk again.

Finally the three of them reached Moody's classroom. They were surprised to find it empty however and wondered if Mad-Eye Moody had taken his class elsewhere to teach that afternoon. Just as they began wondering where Moody had gone to, Remus spotted him coming down the old corridor, clonking as he went with his wooden walking stick, his magical eye buzzing around in its socket. His footsteps made a dull thud on the ground and he grunted when he saw that. If others looked on, he seemed unhappy to see them, but they knew him better.

"Mad-Eye!" said Tonks, unable to help herself from behaving like a child. She ran towards him and hugged him tightly, having not seen him for so long. "I miss you, you old codger!" she exclaimed happily.

"For god's sake, Tonks," he grunted, but there was a subtle smile upon his lips.

"Alright, Mad-Eye?" said Silvia, glad to see him as fine and paranoid as ever.

"Hello Alastor," Remus smiled. "You were expecting us, I'm guessing."

"Dumbledore informed me," he said. "You're lucky I don't have a class this period otherwise you'd all be waiting," he grunted and led them out towards the sunny courtyard that still had a breath of summer lingering about—autumn was coming late that year.

"How do you like your job?" Tonks asked, almost forgetting the reason she was there.

"It's a favor for Dumbledore," Moody explained. "How have you been faring? I suppose your cousin still suspects me?"

Tonks tensed instantly. "Yes but we're not here because of that."

"We just need information, Mad-Eye," Silvia intervened before the rift between Alexis and Tonks grew deeper. "We're investigating Rosier now."

Something seemed to have gone wrong with Moody's magical eye but only Remus seemed to have noticed while Silvia and Tonks were too preoccupied thinking up how to phrase their words to him. Remus kept quiet while watching pensively at Moody's magical eye. He wondered why it kept getting stuck, as if Moody wasn't used to using it. That's just absurd, Remus thought for he knew Mad-Eye Moody has had that eye for years.

"Why are you investigating Rosier?" Moody asked warily.

"Well Crouch Jr. seemed to have fallen off the face of the Earth," Tonks retorted.

"Ian's the only connection we have to Crouch Jr. at the moment," said Silvia softly, pausing slightly at the mentioning of Ian Rosier—she still hadn't entirely gotten over her past.

"Alastor, do you know anything about Ian Rosier?" Remus asked, paying extra attention to the way Moody acted as he answered the questions. He just couldn't fight off the feeling that there was something wrong with Alastor Moody that day.

Moody's normal eye avoided them while his magical eye stared them up and down and left and right. He seemed to be thinking whether or not he should answer them. While waiting, Silvia and Tonks glanced at each other, speaking without words but using only facial gestures like they often did when joking around. It was then that Remus had noticed Moody twitch slight—if he could call that twitching. His tongue quickly stuck out at the side of his mouth, snake-like, and came back into his mouth again. Remus had never seen Mad-Eye do that before, ever, and he'd known the man for a rather long time because of the Wizarding War.

When Tonks and Silvia looked back, Moody had taken out his hipflask and drank from it. That seemed absolutely normal for Moody was known for being so paranoid that he wouldn't even drink anything from other people. He shivered slightly after his drink and proceeded to speak with them as if nothing had happened.

"Ian Rosier is Evan Rosier's younger brother," he said in a scratchy voice.

"We knew that," said Tonks.

"Let me finish," he sighed and rolled both his normal and magical eyes at her. "Evan Rosier was a convicted Death Eater; however, he died before he was sentenced to Azkaban. After You-Know-Who's downfall, the Death Eaters were quickly arrested. I was given the task of arresting Evan Rosier and ended up killing him in the duel. He did take a piece of me with him though," Moody chuckled, gesturing to his nose which always had a chunk of it missing. Tonks was sure she'd heard this story before but it'd slipped her mind.

"Do you think Ian Rosier could be involved with Death Eaters like his older brother?" Remus questioned while Silvia seemed to be mentally jotting everything down.

"We suspect that Ian Rosier may be involved in both the Crouch Jr. Investigation and the Bryce Murder Investigation," said Tonks. "This would give him a motive for doing things."

"What do you think he's doing?" Moody asked. He seemed to be thinking again, thinking hard about something. Remus could see the gears of thought turning inside his head.

Remus, Tonks, and Silvia looked at each other. Sudden quick but very logical ideas suddenly spilled from their minds, unfiltered.

"Perhaps he's trying to frame Remus with murder," said Tonks. "I mean honestly. How often does a bloke venture by the Shrieking Shack?"

"What would he gain from framing Remus though?" Moody asked.

Tonks had no answer.

"Ian was well acquainted with the Crouch family," Silvia said. "Perhaps he's helping Barty Crouch Jr. hide from the Ministry. Crouch Jr. had not been sighted at all. He couldn't have stayed hidden for this long without any help."

"That's very true," Moody agreed. "But in what way would Crouch Jr. contact Rosier? Have all of you forgotten that Rosier had just returned to England several weeks ago? We have the International Floo records to prove that," said Moody.

Like Tonks, Silvia too was silenced.

"He has to be a part of a bigger plan," said Remus suddenly. While Silvia and Tonks were asking their question, Remus had been thinking hard about both cases and vaguely came to a conclusion of his own. "There has to be some major scheme going on," he continued. "So many things pertaining to Death Eaters and Voldemort are happening lately. They can't all be just coincidences." As Remus spoke, Tonks was marveled at how his mind worked and was overly glad she'd brought him along. "Frank Bryce was the caretaker of the Riddle House. He can't just randomly be found dead in a Wizarding area when he's a muggle. The Death Eaters at the World Cup must also have something to do with this, and as for Crouch Jr., he has to have had help and could also be a part of this massive plan too."

"Although we don't have clear and solid evidence that Ian is unreliable, so many small details are pointing against him."

As she listened, Tonks suddenly took into consideration the many dreams Harry has had throughout his stay with them that summer. They all pointed to one thing. "They're planning to bring him back," she said suddenly. "You-Know-Who…they're bringing him back."

"And they've gathered all their remaining followers to do so," said Remus, going on with Tonks, taking a chance at this accusation.

Moody tensed significantly and that time, even Silvia and Tonks had noticed. "This is all just guess work you're doing," he said. "But it's good…constant vigilance," he added although his _constant vigilance_ was much softer and not as natural as before. "This accusation of yours…it's really quite a mendacity for the Death Eaters to pull off," Mad-Eye chuckled stiffly. "However, it seems plausible. Perhaps Rosier is an untrustworthy party after all and you should investigate on him. Find out more about what he's doing. Tonks, Silvia, you know what to do and I suspect Remus will catch on quickly."

"Hopefully we'll finally have some progress with both these cases," said Silvia.

"What do you plan to do?" Moody asked.

"Follow him," said Tonks. "Research and get more information about him, then follow him and I guess we just hope he'll slip up somewhere."

"Do you really think our impromptu accusation could be correct?" Remus asked Tonks quietly, wondering about what they all had said and came to a conclusion of while answering Mad-Eye's question.

"I don't know," said Tonks. "We'll have to go incognito to find out," she added with an air of excitement to her tone as if going incognito was something she'd looked forward to.

* * *

><p>All night, Alexis had been aimlessly wandering through the shops of Hogsmeade village, searching for absolutely nothing at all. She'd been in a foul mood all day at work and had chosen to go home early less she lost her usual collectiveness once again and end up trashing all the hard-earned respect she had in her department. Not wanting to go home because she dreaded another argument with Tonks at home, Alexis ended up wandering Hogsmeade.<p>

She went from Honeydukes' Sweet Shop over to Gladrags Wizardwear. The shop was an expensive, high-end shop with beautiful clothing, wizard robes, but fall into a category the muggles called designer brand. Alexis browsed through the aisles and beautiful display of modern, fashionable Wizardwear for her age. Unlike all other times, nothing seems to amuse her at the moment and even the most beautiful blouse in the store was of no interest to her.

Maybe I'll just go home and sleep, she thought. Unexpectedly, Alexis made a sharp turn on her heels and headed for the front door. Before she reached it however, a familiar icy face came into her view. She stopped to stare momentarily but then proceeded, meeting the blonde witch with an icy expression which bore the same patrician beauty as she.

"Hello Alexis," Narcissa Malfoy said in a curt tone.

"You can just call me Lexi," she said, feeling not used to the woman calling her Alexis.

A sad, wistful smile appeared on Narcissa Malfoy's lips, breaking her icy façade. Alexis wondered why she suddenly smiled. "You don't detest the nickname," she said softly.

"Why would I?" Alexis retorted.

Narcissa Malfoy shook her head. "Can we speak?"

Alexis paused for a moment, wondering if she should or should not speak with her very own aunt. "Of course," she finally replied. "What are you doing here?"

"It is Hogsmeade weekend," Narcissa said in a reminding tone. "I am in Hogsmeade to see my son…Draco. You've heard of him?"

"Yes…I've heard of him," Alexis replied. She'd heard of Draco Malfoy alright, although not in the way Narcissa sees him.

Narcissa nodded.

There was an awkward silence as both women aimlessly wandered through the clothing aisles of Gladrags Wizardwear. For a while they didn't speak and Alexis was growing quite uncomfortable with the strange silence. She followed Narcissa and ended up picking up a blouse with her and examining it as if they were shopping together.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked.

"Go on," Narcissa said in a voice gentler than normal.

"Why did you help me? Why did you hint to me Rosier's untrustworthiness?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Narcissa said, her eyes not meeting Alexis'.

Having always been one to pay attention to details, Alexis noticed that Narcissa was lying just by her smallest gestures and her tone of voice alone. She realized that although Narcissa had helped her, she didn't want to be acknowledged as having done so. Alexis understood why. She was after all, Madam Malfoy.

She decided not to question Narcissa any further on information about Ian Rosier knowing she would not easily crack. Alexis couldn't help however, questioning Narcissa on Mad-Eye Moody. The topic of whether Moody was trustworthy or not had been a thorn at her side for days and she longed to get rid of him, to find reassurance for a stance.

"Do you know about Mad-Eye Moody?" Alexis asked.

"The paranoid old man?" Narcissa replied. "He transfigured my son into a ferret days ago and bounced him up and down—how disrespectful," she said with no fear at all.

Alexis nodded and was contemplative for a while. "Is there anything else about Moody?" she asked, needing more information. "Is there anything strange or…peculiar about him?"

Narcissa was quiet and it took Alexis a moment to notice she was tenser than before.

"Is he like Rosier?"

"Lexi," she said in a suddenly gentle voice that took Alexis by complete surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about; however, I would advise you…to not trust in what you see alone for your eyes may be blinded by a lie…"

Alexis pressed her lips tighter together and thought about Narcissa's words.

Once again, a wave of silence swept them by. Finally, Alexis felt she could get no more information off Narcissa Malfoy for the moment and she'd spent enough time incidentally shopping around with her dear aunt Cissy.

"Thank you," she said. "I-I better go."

"Wait a minute," Narcissa said suddenly. She paused to think about her words, licked her lips, and after some time finally spoke. "I've been to see Bella…Bellatrix—my husband has connections in the Ministry," she explained upon Alexis' curious face.

"Wonderful," said Alexis dryly, memories of her last encounter with Bellatrix replaying inside her mind. Her last impression of the woman was of a terrifying, sadistic murderer.

"She…she really was…horrifying…" there was a very evident trace of sadness in Narcissa's tone, a sadness that reminded Alexis of how Andromeda always spoke of her family. It made Alexis empathize with her distant aunt. "She's withered now, in Azkaban. What Bella did was indeed wrong, beyond wrong, twisted and evil. But-but you have to understand, Lexi, that she was possessed. She was possessed by her emotions."

Alexis empathized with Narcissa, but it does not mean she could ever forgive Bellatrix for the murder of her parents. Her dark brown almost black eyes turned back and faced Narcissa's, meeting her own eyes which were so similar to hers.

"Bellatrix was possessed by her sick and twisted loyalty to Voldemort," she spat, causing Narcissa to gasp at the fearless mentioning of the Dark Lord's name. "She was possessed by loyalty, not emotions."

* * *

><p>Realizing it was Hogsmeade weekend for the students in year three and older of Hogwarts, Tonks, Remus, and Silvia decided to visit Harry after their meeting with Moody and leaving the grand castle that overlooked the lovely Wizarding town. They raced down the rolling hills and wide dirt roads that sat between the castle and the town. Tonks was in a particularly better mood after settling with Remus and Silvia what their plan was about Rosier. They would find more information about him, precise information, and then they would follow him in hopes of spotting a moment when he messes up. They were no longer lost at least.<p>

With Silvia walking a short distance ahead and Remus and Tonks hand in hand behind her, they made their way into the Three Broomsticks. Tonks wondered how Silvia could know where she was going but she didn't bother to question when they spotted Harry sitting at a booth on the far side of the inn along with Ron, Hermione, and Sirius.

"Caught red handed," Remus smirked as they approached his friend.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione smiled at them and they smiled back, exchanging greetings once they got nearer to each other. Ron and Hermione were happy to see them while Harry beamed—a twinkle very visible in his shockingly green eyes.

Tonks watched with amusement as Silvia raised an eyebrow and folded her arms at Sirius. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Silvia asked, her Spanish accent lacing her words.

Sirius laughed nervously. "Well…I told him I had another emergency."

Silvia narrowed her eyes while Tonks laughed and added, "He often skips out on work whenever he's lazy." She wanted to get her mind off troublesome things and at the moment, teasing Sirius seemed like a wonderful distraction.

Remus, who could read her like a book, had understood and knew the reason as to why she was teasing her cousin. He followed, hoping to create more distraction for his lover. "Padfoot often hoodwinks his manager so he could get off work."

Silvia rolled her eyes, shook her head, and took a seat beside Sirius, huffing at him.

Once they all sat down, the rather crowded table began many conversations about the happenings around the school. Remus watched as Tonks listened eagerly about the students' impression of her old mentor. Ron went on and on about how scary but brilliant Moody was. He talked about how Moody had transfigured Draco Malfoy into a ferret and bounced him up and down the dungeon corridor. His words seem to serve as reassurance to Tonks, that her mentor could be trusted. Hermione was talking about something that Tonks only heard as 'spew' but she was sure it meant something more. Perhaps she would ask Remus later what Hermione was trying to convince them to join.

The conversation grew significantly darker when Harry spoke about his recurring nightmares involving Lord Voldemort and other loyal servants. Tonks and Remus glanced at each other, realizing they were getting more evidence to their unplanned accusation created earlier. Harry was also worried about their two cases and he made it seem as if the world was about to end and the Dark Lord would rise again.

"They said the Triwizard Tournament is taking place again this year," said Harry finally after Sirius forced him to change the conversation. "What exactly is it?"

"It's a sort of competition between schools," Tonks tried to explain while Sirius took a long drink from his glass of firewhiskey.

"Everyone at the Ministry had been utterly shocked when we found out the tournament would be held again," said Silvia, trying to take the whiskey away from Sirius.

"Why was that?" Hermione asked curiously.

The adults looked at each other. "People _die_ in this tournament," said Sirius.

"But they're going to do something to make it safe, aren't they?" Hermione asked.

"As far as I know, I've heard nothing," said Tonks.

"Harry," Remus began in a gentle, soothing voice. "Harry, don't worry about anything. Strange things are happening this year…but you'll be safe at Hogwarts with Dumbledore and Moody there…"

"And you always have us," Sirius added, reassuring his godson.

"Moody is as paranoid as ever…he'll make sure you're safe," said Tonks, having full faith in her old mentor and trusting that he would protect Harry Potter because of Dumbledore.

Harry nodded.

As the conversation went on, they spoke about more trivial matters such as the events happening around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade soon. Tonks became engaged in an animated conversation with the kids and Remus about what going incognito and undercover work was like—Remus had been wondering why she had an air of excitement to her when they mentioned it earlier with Moody around.

Remus looked up in the middle of a laugh and instantly his eyes fell upon the opening door. The small bell above the inn's door sounded and Remus saw three people walking in—a beautiful young woman accompanied by red-headed twins. Alexis walked in wearing a strange, stoic expression as she stood in between Fred and George Weasley. They looked around and were about to take a seat at the bar counter but Fred had spotted them and came over to say 'hi'. Remus knew they were doing so out of courtesy.

"Hello all," Alexis greeted as she came over. Remus and Sirius glanced at each other as they noticed the terribly forced smile on Alexis' face.

It wasn't obvious at first but the kids noticed instantly the tension between Alexis and Tonks after Tonks got up unexpectedly. Harry had been eager to inform Alexis about the events of that school year. When Alexis sat down with Fred and George, Tonks quietly got up and excused herself with an upturned look upon her face. Sirius' smile fell with Tonks' obvious show that she wanted to avoid Alexis. As Tonks left the inn, Remus had to excuse himself to follow her, wondering why she still refused to speak with Alexis—she was adamant in her anger towards her cousin. They'd never fought like that before.

"Lexi, is something wrong?" Harry asked, worried for the people he considered family.

"Why does Tonks seem so pissed off all of a sudden?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Alexis sighed.

"Has something happened?" Hermione asked, genuinely worried for them as well.

"Not really," Alexis said. "It's stupid." She took a quick drink and in one gulp, finished the glass of firewhiskey the waiter had just set down. The alcohol rushed to her head and immediately, her cheeks flushed to a bright, glowing shade of pink. "I-I just remembered I'd forgotten to buy something. See you later," she said and got up as if eager to get out of there.

George took a gentle hold of her by her wrist and asked, "What do you need to buy?"

"Lexi weren't you shopping just minutes before?" said Fred, smirking for some reason.

"I forgot," Alexis sighed, smiling, hiding her frustration behind the grin.

In a manner much like Tonks', Alexis bade her goodnights to the kids and hurried out of the inn. Surprisingly, George got up as well and followed her, much like Remus had with Tonks. Silvia didn't bother with this for she'd known Alexis and the Weasley twins, especially George, had become very close. Sirius however, took note of this. He noticed that George often has close contact with Alexis and his hand was always somewhere near her waist. He wondered how the young Weasley had gotten so close to his cousin.

After George had left, Sirius turned over to Fred to ask his questions and answer his curiosity. "First of all," he began. "Which twin are you?" he asked, wanting reassurance.

"I am George," Fred said.

"So you're Fred," said Sirius.

"Oh bloody hell," said Ron. "Fred, why do you always have to mess with people?"

His brother shrugged.

"Anyways," said Sirius. "Why aren't you with your twin?" he asked suspiciously.

"Some things Georgie and I do alone like any other normal blokes," Fred replied.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Oh sweet merlin," Silvia sighed, already predicting Fred's answer.

"Well…we pee _alone_, most definitely," Fred retorted, causing Harry, Ron, and Hermione to have to stifle their laughter while Silvia hid her smile and Sirius glared at the kid.

* * *

><p>"Nymphadora!" Remus called, rushing down the street of Hogsmeade in a half-run, trying to catch up to Tonks. "Dora, Nymphadora!" he called again and finally reached her. Remus took her hand and turned her around so that she now faced him.<p>

Tonks sighed and he could see the troubled look in her eyes. When they left the Three Broomsticks inn, Tonks had walked at a very fast pace aimlessly down the street. Remus wondered why she was so adamant in her dispute with her cousin and he wanted to ask, but she seemed to be avoiding the whole matter. When he called her back, Tonks kept walking. Now he finally caught up to her and saw in her eyes the answer he looked for. She was confused.

"Love," said Remus in a gentle, silky voice. He placed both hands on her shoulder and looked her tenderly in her eyes that were currently the color of midnight blue. Remus paused for a moment. There were so many questions he could ask her. What's wrong; why did you leave? It took him a while to finally settle on one. "Are you alright?"

She looked into his eyes, seeming like she really wanted to lie to him, but Tonks couldn't. Her midnight blue eyes shifted to a shade of light, dusty, emerald green. Tonks sighed once again and tilted her head back to look up at the starry night sky. The streetlights were on, illuminating the world around them in a peaceful yellow light. The night was soft and there was no wind. Nothing seemed out of place. Normally, Tonks enjoyed these nights. But on that particular one, she was so frustrated.

"I don't know," she replied earnestly. "When I saw Lexi I wanted to keep convincing her that Moody is really trustworthy, but she seems persistent of being angry with me."

Remus' hands trailed down to her waist. He linked his fingers together behind her back and gently pulled her closer to himself. They were standing at the side of the street under a warm streetlight, speaking quietly like a simple couple. It was a good feeling and Tonks was slowly easing up being in his presence.

"She's not persistent of being angry with you," he said softly. "Perhaps, like you, Lexi had just been having a very bad day and no one has cheered her up yet. We all look angry when we've had a bad day." Remus paused and searched her eyes, wondering if he was of any help to her. "Lexi has an eye for details and that fact, you know as well as I. Maybe we should give her some time to figure things out for herself. She'll see that Moody is trustworthy sooner or later."

After a brief silence, Tonks nodded her head. Remus then shifted so that he now stood beside her and took her hand in his. Never before had Remus been the one to initiate every touch, every loving gesture, but he didn't mind it. He was glad that he was finally of some help to her. Remus walked with Tonks, quietly taking a stroll down the mildly crowded street.

"I just don't know why she's so hell-bent on saying that Moody is untrustworthy though," said Tonks, looking contemplative. She was now calmer and speaking with Remus about things she didn't understand. "It's not like her to be so openly headstrong about something. There has to be another reason."

Remus was thinking and couldn't find an answer right away. As they walked, Tonks' eyes suddenly noticed an icy face emerging from the jolly crowd. She tensed immediately and Remus noticed this. He looked up to see that Tonks had spotted Narcissa Malfoy and her husband's face, coming out of a small crowd on the street. Lucius Malfoy, like always, had a sneer upon his face, his chin jutted high, and he walked with a haughty arrogance down the street. Beside him, he was holding hands with his wife, Narcissa. Narcissa looked so much like Andromeda, although her expression was much, much colder than the kind mother, aunt, and cousin Remus had known Andromeda as. It was strange because although Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy both seemed to be very cold and haughty people, they still walked the streets hand in hand and spoke to each other with a small smile upon their lips. Love wasn't completely lost in them—it was just clouded and masked by strange traditions and shadows of the past.

"What's Narcissa Malfoy doing here?" Tonks asked, finding it strange to see the woman out and about. Though she didn't like them, even Tonks could deny that between the awkward husband and wife, love wasn't completely lost within them.

"They must be visiting their son, Draco," Remus explained, remembering the blonde Slytherin boy he'd taught last year in Harry's year.

Tonks' twinkling dark green eyes met with Narcissa's icy blue eyes. It was an awkward moment for the both of them. They were supposed to be close, Narcissa being the aunt and Tonks being the niece, however, because of events that could not be helped, they were distant. Tonks suddenly noticed how Narcissa's icy blue eyes had turned softer and warmer when she looked at her. She wondered if she was seeing things.

Both Narcissa and Tonks passed by each other on the street at a very close distance. No words were exchanged and they didn't turn back to look at each other, but there was a very distinct feeling of family when they were close by. Tonks wondered if it was normal to have a familial pull towards the woman whom she felt she should detest but just couldn't entirely.

Not wanting to linger on the strange thought much longer, Tonks forced herself to stop thinking about Narcissa's suddenly warm gaze upon her. She stopped thinking about her messed up family and returned her eyes to Remus, gazing at his profile view and smiling gently.

During the night, the town of Hogsmeade seemed to have been reborn with a new style of life. There were many students around, enjoying their Hogsmeade weekend to the fullest. Other couples walked the street, laughing and smiling as they went.

Their quiet stroll brought them to the front door of Honeydukes' Sweet Shop. The shop glowed under the moonlight with a million colors of sweets and confectionaries of all kinds. Remus and Tonks looked inside through the large front windows, grinning like school children at the sight of chocolate. They were about to walk into the store together, however, Tonks stopped when she spotted her cousin standing inside.

"Come on," Remus said, noticing Alexis inside but beckoning Tonks with him anyways.

She shook her head and refused to budge. "I don't think it's wise to try and sort things out in a candy shop when both of us had had very bad days," she said.

Remus sighed but didn't try to argue with her. "Stay here then," he said, smiling slightly. "I will be out soon. I need to get something really quick."

Seeing that smirk upon his face as he hesitantly let go of her hand, Tonks knew that the thing Remus wanted to get really quick was chocolate. It was always chocolate. She smiled at him and shook her head. If Remus Lupin ruled the world, all problems would be solved with chocolate. She watched him disappear into the store and lost sight of him in the crowd of people that were crowding through the small, colorful aisles of the candy shop.

Her eyes kept searching for Remus, a head of light brown hair and a kind, gentle face in the crowd, but she couldn't find him. He must have ducked down behind an aisle to closely examine the assortments of chocolate Honeydukes contained. Tonks smiled once again, having always found Remus' strange love for chocolate rather cute. He was a quiet bookworm with a secret mischievous side who has an addiction to chocolate. Tonks couldn't ask for a more interesting bloke for a lover.

Without seeing Remus, Tonks' wandering eyes fell on her cousin who stood in clear view of her inside the store. Alexis didn't see Tonks however, she was too distracted laughing and talking with George Weasley to look up and see who was standing right outside the window. Tonks watched as George successfully cheered her cousin up and made her smile time and time again. Alexis and George were browsing through the colorful aisles, a handful of candy and sweets in their arms. Tonks wondered how close the Weasley twin and her cousin had gotten over the short time they've known each other. I guess it doesn't matter how long you've known someone, Tonks thought. George was having more luck making Alexis laugh than Tonks ever had. She remembered she had to try so hard to draw a smile from her cousin whenever she was in a foul mood. George Weasley was doing so effortlessly. But yet again, George had always been rather funny, Tonks thought again. Alexis was playfully stabbing George with a very large and very long, red and orange lollipop now. She was glad her cousin's mood had improved and wondered if it was a good time to sort things out with her. For a brief moment, Tonks considered the idea of marching inside the candy store and sorting things out with her cousin. But she still didn't move from her spot. She didn't want to ruin her cousin's good mood and risk her own good mood that Remus had helped bring back to her.

"You miss her," Remus' voice sounded in a playful tone beside her ear.

Tonks turned around, smiling at him with her back to the window. Remus was grinning at her, his hands behind his back and his eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint. "Not really," Tonks lied, her smile not reaching her eyes.

Remus still didn't show his hands, keeping them behind his back. "You two haven't spoken without arguing for days. You miss her," he said, smiling gently. "It's alright. Things will right itself in due time," he comforted.

Her forced smile turned more genuine now. Wanting to get her thoughts away from her cousin and her troubles, Tonks placed her hands on Remus' shoulders and leaned in to place a kiss upon him. His lips met hers halfway and they kissed softly but lacked no passion. His lips were soft and tasted of chocolate. She knew he must've had a bite while he was still inside the store. When Tonks pulled back, she was smiling. Remus was still grinning mischievously at her, his hands still behind his back, hiding something.

"What's that you got there?" she asked him.

"A little something to cheer you up," he said and finally showed her what was holding.

From behind him, Remus pulled out a velvet box of chocolates wrapped by a silk black ribbon, and a beautiful flower petal in the shape of a rose that was apparently edible by the label on the clear plastic cover. The flower was red and the stem and thorns were made of chocolate. It was lovely and looked almost real. The box of chocolates served to stir her curiosity, making her wonder what kinds of chocolates were inside. On the elegant white label in the front, Tonks saw her name, Nymphadora Tonks, neatly scrawled in Remus' loopy and neat handwriting.

"How sweet," said Tonks. She was grinning now.

He'd handed her the edible rose petal while opening the box of chocolate for her. Remus opened the box gently and carefully, slowly revealing to her the surprise under the delicate wrappings. Tonks couldn't explain why she suddenly lit up at the sight of over twenty pieces of assorted chocolates, but she did. She thought that being around Remus so much that his likes were rubbing off on her. She was grinning because of chocolate it seems.

"Do you like?" he asked.

"I love it," Tonks said, grinning as he fed her a piece of white chocolate smidgen that had a smooth and creamy raspberry center. Sweetness coated her tongue and filled her taste buds, successfully cheering her up even more. Remus always seemed to know what to do. "Thank you," she said, smiling as they exchanged another kiss. That time, their kiss tasted of sweet and sugary raspberry and white chocolate.

"Keep smiling now," said Remus as they began walking again, discreetly throwing another glance at Alexis who still seemed to not have noticed them from inside the store.

"Isn't chocolate a remedy for dementors?" Tonks asked, feeling much better than before.

"Chocolate, my love, is a remedy for any ill-feeling in this world," Remus smiled.

The night went on and Remus and Tonks continued to wander around Hogsmeade. Many of Remus' former students were all gawking at him, greeting him, and trying to find out more about the beautiful woman he was holding hands with. After a while, Tonks could evidently see the harsh blush on Remus' cheeks. He became more nervous and flustered than usual and Tonks couldn't help but smile at him.

"Oh honestly," she sighed, smiling at him, her previous troubles vanished with him there.

"They're all probably wondering how a shabby old werewolf like me could be with a stunning young woman like you."

"Seriously," Tonks groaned, hiding her face in his shoulder as they walked. "Let them wonder," she insisted. "Wonder how this obnoxious freak of an auror ended up with a charming and mischievous bookworm like you."

He couldn't help but smile. Tonks shook her head and looked up at his smiling face. From behind him, she could see the silver moon shining brightly like a luminescent light bulb in the sky. The moon was nearing full and thinking about the upcoming full moon, Tonks' smile dropped slightly. This didn't go by unnoticed.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked softly, concern laced in his voice.

"It's almost the full moon," said Tonks.

Remus sighed. "Yes. Yes…it's almost full."

"Let me be with you."

"Come again."

"Let me be with you this full moon, please," she implored.

"Nymphadora, I have no wolfsbane this month. You could get hurt."

"You had no wolfsbane last Christmas," she reasoned. "And…I'll get help."

Remus grew quiet, considering her proposition and truly wanting to accept it.

* * *

><p>Replies:<p>

RemusTonksFan: Thank you! I always find Remus' attraction and love for chocolate very cute. It also makes him seem even more real...I mean, he LOVES chocolate! xD

TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish: Thank you! I try to write Remus and Tonks' interactions based of imagination and other storybook lovers. And I'm not too good of a writer (look at my grammar!) I'm sure you'll be able to write them even better! We all love them so that's a big starting factor ^_^ And I really want to read this story of yours, please send me the link :) As for tips, hmm, I'd say just imagine how you'd like them to interact and describe it in detail-let your imagination flow. Or you can write about how their thoughts conflict since they can't stand being in the same room but are in love, write about how they can't help it and they're frustrated. I hope that helps. And thank you very much, I still am trying to improve. Thank you for your support xD

Luiz4200: I hope it wasn't bad though :]

Divinia Serit: Yes, Remus' non-argumentative nature makes it hard to find a legit sub-plot for him -_- no matter, I have one in mind which I hope you'll like. And anyways, Thank You so much! xD I was quite nervous about Mad-Eye's story since he's such an interesting character and I didn't want to mess that up. As for my OCs, you don't understand how nervous I am whenever I write them. I don't want them to be terrible characters, I hope I'm doing well. Thank you for your support!

SuperWriterToTheRescue: Thank you so much! I hope you like my stories and continue to like them :] And yes, I completely agree that Remus and Tonks are by far the most perfect couple. They were made for each other and I can't see them with anyone else.

CallMeTony: Thank you! I was afraid my character backgrounds aren't good. If there's anything you think is bad, feel free to tell me. xD And I'm glad you like her. As I write her, I keep basing her off this one actress that I really, really like (I'm weird, I know xD) And I'm afraid the sub-plot about the Black sisters will develop slowly, I hope you don't mind. As for my speed, I actually have the entire story planned out and the only thing left is to actually write the chapters. I'm a freak so if I focus, I can write a chapter in one day (no promises on the quality) I take a week to update because I want to edit it. I have no life haha. Anyways, thank you! xD


	14. The Night of the Full Moon

**Author's Note:**

I signed up for Pottermore! Unfortunately I didn't make the Beta test period but I signed up now and am waiting for the e-mail to come! Finger's crossed, and Oh dear god I can't wait much longer.

Anyways, I am somehow unable to access my reviews page and I can't read any of it so I'm sorry I can't respond :( I will continue next time. Sorry. And now, I hope you enjoy this chapter ^_^ Thank you so much for your support.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14 – The Night of the Full Moon<strong>

The dense morning fog had lingered into the murky afternoon. Clouds in different shades of grey concealed the forgotten sun and hid all traces of golden light. The dry air was still and unmoving in the afternoon of late September. With the dreary and foreboding state of the weather outside, the atmosphere inside turned parallel to the dullness. Twinkling dark green eyes shifted from the dismal window view to the mundane farm of cubicles.

A month after the chaos at the world cup, the mayhem at the ministry had just begun to die down. Tonks was situated in her messy and cluttered cubicle, leaning backwards in her chair and trying hard to stay awake while reading up on paranoid reports of invalid sightings of Barty Crouch Jr. Her mouth was agape, her eyes half closed, and she'd long convinced herself that Crouch Jr. had fallen off the face of the Earth.

"Miss Tonks," someone's voice called. It was a smooth, deep, and oddly soothing voice. "Tonks," the speaker, a male, called again but she did not stir.

Nymphadora Tonks was fast asleep.

"We should tip her chair," another person, female that time, said in a joking tone, her words laced with a rich and beautiful accent.

"Let me try," another man said. His voice was similar to the first but was much deeper, aged, and much more reassuring. "Nymphadora!"

Tonks woke with a start. "Don't. Call me. Nymphadora!" she shrieked.

Her eyes looked around at the small crowd inside her cubicle, staring like a deer in face of danger. Tonks looked up to meet Kingsley's, Marrick's, and Silvia's face, all chuckling at her. She then realized that for a brief moment, the entire office had stopped because of her very sudden shriek. Fortunately everyone was moving again, but Tonks' heart still raced very quickly.

"Constant vigilance, Tonks," Silvia chuckled, holding her hand up to her mouth.

"Bloody hell," Tonks groaned, relaxing and dropping her hands to her side.

"Falling asleep on the job?" Marrick asked, placing another set of folders, sightings, down in front of her. "I just came to drop these off," he said. "If you have any questions, Silvia should be able to answer them. I have to get back to work, see you." With that, the charming young man with piercing jade colored eyes and dark brown hair raced out of her cubicle.

Stunned for a moment by the fast pace of things, Tonks stared stupidly at Kingsley and Silvia. They both shook their heads and smiled at her, treating her like a small child. Silvia patted Tonks' shoulder and proceeded to straighten out the piles of reports Tonks still had to read up on.

"Tonks, I got you sorted out with Scrimgeour for leaving early tonight," said Kingsley, smiling. "Feel free to leave when you're done with everything." He knew Tonks' reason for leaving early and like Silvia, didn't speak much of it in the workplace.

Getting back into the flow of things, Tonks rubbed her sleepy eyes and nodded. "Thanks Kingsley," she said through a yawn while stretching her arms. When she looked back and blinked several times, the tall, broad-shouldered black wizard had too left her cubicle, leaving her alone with her partner who was sorting through folders right in front of her.

"Awake yet?" Silvia asked.

"Somewhat," Tonks replied. She watched lazily as Silvia organized the mess in front of her into two very straight and neat piles.

"Here, since I read faster than you, I will finish skimming through these sightings. How about you take these folders down to the archive and file them," Silvia proposed.

"No problem," said Tonks, getting up immediately. She'd choose filing over reading any day, as bad as it sounds.

Making her way past Silvia to get out of her small and cluttered cubicle, Tonks had tripped over something on her floor—her wastebasket perhaps—and fell gracelessly onto her face. She quickly hopped back up onto her feet, ignored Silvia's sigh and shaking head behind her, and continued on as if nothing remotely embarrassing had happened.

As she walked out onto the long and elegant corridor with a high marble ceiling, Tonks' twinkling eyes fell upon the row of tall glass windows and she looked outside once again. She wondered whether that night's full moon would look any different from the others. Tonks was now distracted by the thought of the full moon and accompanying Remus that night. She'd asked Sirius and Silvia for their help and they happily agreed. A sigh escaped her breath as she wondered how Remus felt at that moment. When she saw him earlier that morning, he'd looked particularly pallid and haggard, driven mad with worry. He was scared he'd hurt them without the magic of the wolfsbane potion taming him.

Walking with her eyes distant in thought, Tonks hadn't noticed that she was soon going to be running head first into a man who like her, was distracted by thought also. Tonks' eyes widened the brief second before their collision but she didn't react fast enough.

"Bloody hell!" she yelled, falling to her knees as she realized she'd ran straight into Barty Crouch Sr. and had sent his papers flying up in the air. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she said, scurrying to help him up and gather his papers together.

"Ah, Miss Tonks," Mr. Crouch laughed in an odd manner as he straightened his dark grey robes. "My apologies, I…I wasn't paying attention," he said. His narrow toothbrush moustache was twitching as he laughed, seeming nervous and uneasy.

"I'm sorry Mr. Crouch," she said, having never gotten on a first-name basis with the strict and orderly man. "Are you alright sir?"

"Yes," he said, nodding too many times. "Yes."

Something suddenly occurred to Tonks. She didn't get to see Barty Crouch often and wasn't able to talk with him much about his son whom she was looking for. Now there he was, standing in front of her. She knew she'd be a fool to let him walk away without any questions.

"Um, Mr. Crouch," Tonks began uncertainly. "I'm not sure if you know this but I'm the auror in charge of looking for Bartemius Crouch Jr., your son…"

"Yes, Miss Tonks, I am well aware. I've heard many say that you, Alexis, and Silvia have all been assigned to this case," he replied, seeming more and more uneasy as each second passed them by. Tonks took note of this.

"Err, I was wondering, sir…if there's any information you can give to us."

Mr. Crouch visibly tensed upon Tonks' words. His smile fell a little and turned forced and rigid as he looked back at her, not wanting to drop her gaze and draw more suspicion from the well-taught auror. Tonks stood waiting as Mr. Crouch lingered in his thoughts, not speaking for a moment and putting a pause to their busy lives.

"I-information you say," he said shakily. "I haven't seen my son in many years." He paused for a moment to think. "Up until now, like everyone else…I-I thought he was dead."

Tonks nodded, unbelieving. Before she could ask another question, Mr. Crouch had already opened his mouth and excused himself, seeming even more lost in his thoughts than before. He smiled nervously and bade her goodbye.

"There are lots of things I have to get done, Miss Tonks. I must return to Hogwarts immediately and handle the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament with Ludo Bagman. If you can excuse me," he smiled and maneuvered around her.

As Barty Crouch hurried away, Tonks continued to wonder why he was acting so strangely. It appears that with the mentioning of his son's name, he'd grown nervous and unstable, losing his strict demeanor. Tonks watched him scurry down the nearly empty corridor and disappear into another that intersected the main one of level two. She made a face at Crouch's strangeness and continued heading towards the lift. For a moment, Tonks wondered if she should talk more with Mr. Crouch but then decided she'd get one thing done at a time. First she had to help Remus with that night's full moon and then investigate Rosier. Mr. Crouch could wait—he wouldn't be going anywhere anyways.

* * *

><p>The murky weather had, unsurprisingly, carried on into the gloomy afternoon. Dense, looming clouds in different shades of grey were watching over miles of rolling hills, sloping dry grass, and early autumn trees. The dreary clouds were taking the place of a sun which was soon to set and a moon which was soon to rise. It was dusk. As the world grew silent in preparation for a quiet evening, four people were preparing for a not so quiet night.<p>

"Quickly," said Sirius in a hushed voice. "Over here," he said, climbing under a tall but broken wooden fence which separated an old and abandoned playground from the woods behind it. He beckoned them forward, taking them into a cluster of trees and branches.

"Sirius, do you know where you're going?" Silvia asked. She was close beside Remus, ready to catch him less he or Tonks lost their balance and fell. It was too close to the full moon and Remus' energy was quickly vanishing as they spoke.

"Of course," Sirius snorted. "I went here all the time when I was a kid."

"Trust him Silv," said Tonks who was supporting Remus on his right. His arm was around her shoulders and she held him up with ease. "He took Lexi and me here to play when we were kids. We went to the playground and even into the woods to explore," she laughed.

Upon realizing her own words, Tonks suddenly turned reticent. She hadn't spoken to her dear cousin Alexis for so long that she'd grown to miss the young Black very much. Even though she was supporting Remus, Tonks had managed a good and thorough look at the old playground where most of the golden, sunlight days of her childhood had been spent.

"Will it be a safe location?" Remus asked, wondering how that full moon would go.

"It's safe, trust me," said Sirius. "No one but us knows about this part of the woods."

Tonks smiled wistfully. "All the muggle kids in the neighborhood were convinced that an evil witch lived in these woods," she said. "It all was actually Lexi, Sirius, and me, pretending with a bunch of our magical toys when we were little. Sirius did some spells too."

Remus noticed that Tonks seemed reminiscent of her childhood as she spoke and one thing he knew for certain was that Alexis Black had been a dominant part of Tonks' childhood and life. She was missing her cousin.

"You miss her," said Remus softly.

She looked up at him. "What do you expect me to do?"

"Talk to her," he replied.

Tonks snorted and turned away from him to look back at the old park.

Her eyes grazed through the scenery of the playground. It had grown decrepit and abandoned but it still felt so close to her. The picture of the lonely playground looked like it had been an old memory taken straight out of a derelict photograph. The small red slide still sat in the middle of the lonely playground. An old swing set was creaking as the empty swing went back and forth with the soft, unseen wind. The rusting merry-go-round, once Tonks' favorite park equipment, sat empty and still, its once vivid colors now antiquated and pale. In the corner of the old park, a set of dragon-shaped spring-riders sat watching the four of them sneak past the same spot in the fence they always used when little. Beside the spring-riders, a bright red and blue castle-shaped climber stood empty, rusting, and aging.

The old park was a short walk from Andromeda's home in Kent and it sat beside a large wooden fence that separated it from the woods. When she was little, Tonks spent many summer days in the playground and the quiet woods beside it. The last time she came, she was with Alexis. Now she came without her cousin and the old playground suddenly didn't feel the same.

Sirius had led them through the woods and into a small clearing that Tonks recognized too well. On the far side of the small clearing sat a lonely little cottage with its windows sloppily boarded up. The holes in the cottage allowed for sunlight to escape through and as if the heavens had eyes, small rays of sunlight seemed to have escaped through the clouds and shined on the ancient little cottage specifically.

"This is it," Tonks sighed, smiling softly as did Sirius.

"You spent most of your childhood here?" Remus asked gently, finding a strange feeling of comfort and warmth from this lonely little cottage.

"Yeah," Tonks laughed, slightly embarrassed.

"Don't judge us," said Sirius. "We weren't spoiled so this was all we had."

"It's strangely beautiful," said Silvia.

Remus agreed although he also felt another feeling expelled by this cottage. It seemed kind of sad. There was a wistful sadness drifting in the air, as if there was more to this old shack that Sirius hadn't told them about. Remus felt that this old shack had been in existence long before Tonks and Alexis knew about it. It had been a part of Sirius' distant childhood too.

"Come on," Sirius hurried. "Let's get everything sorted out and ready before the moon rises." He was already moving towards the old house, whipping out his wand and drawing a funny pattern on the door that opened the house for their use.

"You're sure it's safe?" Remus asked, stepping inside the cottage and suddenly feeling as if he was back in the Shrieking Shack again. Like the shack, this cottage felt like a solace, a safe haven amidst this vast and endless world. He had a strange feeling of belonging here.

"Positive," said Sirius.

"Don't worry, Remus," Silvia spoke comfortingly.

"No one comes by here. It's just us," Tonks reassured him, knowing that Remus was afraid of hurting others more than himself during transformation.

For the next hour until moonrise, no words were exchanged inside the lonely cottage hidden deep in the woods in Kent. Remus had been forced to sit down by Tonks who was beside him, holding his hands and comforting him without words. Silvia and Sirius were outside, setting up muggle-repellent wards as a precaution. When Sirius got back inside again, he suddenly pulled out two very familiar-looking orbs from his black rucksack and set them up. The two orbs levitated into the air and emitted waves of blue light while floating in the top corner of the cottage. Tonks recognized them as spell-holding orbs.

"Where'd you get those?" Tonks asked.

"Lexi," said Sirius and no further questions were asked. Tonks didn't bother asking whether Sirius had taken them or her cousin had given the orbs to them. She didn't want to be distracted by the rift between her and her cousin that night.

As the sun began to vanish into the dark horizon, Silvia and Tonks left the cottage to stand outside as Remus transformed. They could see him and Sirius pacing back and forth through the small gaps and crevices of the broken wood structure. Tonks too began to pace when the endless rolling skies grew darker and darker. The unseen sun was almost gone and as if Tonks too had gotten into the rhythm of the moon, she could feel him rising. The cold, pale and silver moon was making its way towards the dark horizon.

"It hurts him more when he transforms without wolfsbane," said Tonks, watching as the full moon climbed its way above the black velvet skyline.

Silvia placed a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine," she comforted Tonks. Silvia didn't know whether her words were helping or not. She'd never seen Remus transform before and couldn't even imagine how painful it must be for him to go through and for Tonks to watch.

Just as the moon finished its ascension into the night sky, a blood curling scream broke through the silence. Remus screamed at the top of his lungs and Tonks couldn't hold herself back from running towards the shack and peering inside through the small crack of the boarded up windows. Silvia followed her, looking inside to see Remus' transformation.

His back was bent at an odd angle, his arms rigid and bent at his side. Remus' head was up, his mouth wide up as he screamed in agony. He looked like a howling wolf. Sirius stood to the side, his jaws locked and his body tense as he watched his friend go through hell and back again. Remus' face suddenly began to morph and change. His body seemed to have broken and reformed—his skin growing light brown hair from all over. Remus' face was contorted first and soon his mouth lengthened into a snout while his hands turned into claws and his feet lengthened into hind legs. Remus' body was breaking apart to fit the form of the wolf inside. The madness within him was breaking out and finally, the bestial wolf took the place of the gentle man. Remus' eyes had turned from gentle, ocean blue to feral, wild amber. Transformation was done.

Tonks turned to look at Silvia. The Spanish auror had a hand over her mouth, hiding her gasp as she looked inside at the wolf. "Bloody hell," Silvia gasped.

"Neither of them will get hurt, will they?" Tonks asked her friend, seeking reassurance. There were tears present in her twinkling dark green eyes and Tonks worked hard to hide them.

With Silvia, Tonks watched Sirius smoothly transform into a large black dog that resembled the grim which was rumored to haunt churchyards. Sirius stood in one corner while Remus' large but lanky wolf with light brown fur stood in another. They both looked at each other and for a moment, Tonks was worried they'd get in a brawl. They didn't fight however but moved closer as if to sniff each other. Sirius didn't sniff but Remus surely did and soon, the lanky and scarred werewolf was greeting the haunted black dog like an old friend. They _were_ old friends after all. Sirius had been present through all those full moons Remus had gone through while he went to Hogwarts. The werewolf and the dog, though mourned the absence of the stag that was once with them, soon engaged in a playful tussle.

* * *

><p>At night, the Auror Department echoed in silence, lacking the usual crowd of aurors and noisy business it usually had during the day. Most of the lights were out and the only real source of light came from the broken moonlight that shined through the large glass windows and the small desk lamps of a few rare aurors who stayed to work overtime.<p>

On the far end of the farm of cubicles that was the Auror Department, a warm desk lamp lit up a neat and tidy cubicle that belonged to Marrick Kingston. A charming young man, he looked tired and weary as he sat inside, his piercing green eyes staring at a particularly thick and bulky report. He yawned and looked up at the woman beside him, smiling. The beautiful young woman, Alexis Black with long, raven black hair, sat on the right side of his desk, swinging her legs back and forth as she huffed and sighed at her troubles.

"You are worried," Marrick pointed out, removing his attention from the reports only for her. "What's on your mind?" he asked, taking her hand.

Alexis' deep, dark brown almost black eyes looked out towards the cold silver moon that lit up the night sky. "The moon is full," she replied.

Marrick knew immediately the source of her worries. He took both her hands and shifted so that her knees were against his chest, holding her closer. "I know you're worried…but trust that Tonks, Sirius, and Silvia will all be able to take care of Remus and themselves."

"This moon, Remus is untamed though," said Alexis. She wondered if without the wolfsbane potion, Remus would be more aggressive and violent as a wolf.

"What can you do?" Marrick replied softly. "By now, Silvia and Tonks must've set up the wards. You can't get inside until sunrise."

Her eyes were down casted as she thought about her cousin and their dispute. "What do you think I should say to Tonks?" she asked suddenly.

Marrick kissed each of her fingers, easing her worries as he did so. "You're changing your mind about your doubts on Moody?" he asked.

"No," she replied confidently. "Never. I _know_ that there's something up, something not right with Moody. I just can't find out what exactly. I'm just wondering what I should say to Tonks to get her to consider that."

"You know how stubborn she is," Marrick said.

"I could still try to talk to her," said Alexis. "I'm quite stubborn myself," she smirked.

"I know," Marrick replied with a gentle, less mischievous smirk of his own. "I've figured that out ever since the first time I met you in our first year."

She shook her head and giggled softly as she recalled upon the memory where she'd been dared to throw a small bit of food at the Gryffindor table and incidentally hit Marrick in the back of the head. It was a memory she was rather fond of.

"Everything about me, you're always a victim of," Alexis said, gazing into his eyes. "My mischievous nature usually gets you in…humorous situations. My worries reflect onto you…" she smiled and shook her head.

The couple spent a long while looking at each other, gazing into the depths of their souls through the windows that were their eyes. After a long time, Alexis hopped off Marrick's desk, danced around his chair and prepared to leave. Before she left, she leaned down and placed a gentle but whole-hearted kiss upon his lips, kissing him goodnight.

"Head home and sleep early," he told her lovingly. "You look pale," he said, stroking her cheek and noticing her weariness by the dark circles that had formed under her beautiful eyes.

"Of course," she nodded with a smirk upon her face.

"I'm not joking," he added. "Please don't go out drinking again." Marrick still remembered the last time—only several nights ago—when he'd had to come and pick his girlfriend up from some muggle bar because she was too drunk to apparated safely to him.

"Yes, oh great patriarch," Alexis replied in a teasing voice as she bowed dramatically.

Marrick shook his head and sighed but he couldn't hide the amused smile on his face. She was a mature person most of the time, but sometimes, Alexis Black was just so strange. He'd long figured that the oddness ran in the family.

"Love," he called.

"Alright, goodnight," Alexis replied, waving, and walking off.

* * *

><p>Quite contrary to what she'd assured Marrick she'd do after leaving the Ministry, Alexis apparated over to the quiet Wizarding town of Hogsmeade instead of going home. The weather was getting colder and she pulled tighter on her navy blue jacket as she began to walk down the familiar street. Yellow street lamps lit up the way and Alexis could see the Three Broomsticks Inn bustling with people, as did many of the other stores in the village. She wasn't going to head into any of the stores that night however. Her destination was the Shrieking Shack—she wanted to make sure that transformation went alright for her cousins and friends, needing to settle that incessant worry inside herself.<p>

A little way down the street that bustled with people in quiet chatter, Alexis could see the unmistakable, identical faces of Fred and George Weasley. They were grinning broadly, their flaming red hair on fire and their faces had more freckles than when she'd last seen them. In their hands, they were each carrying large and heavy bags from Zonko's Joke Shop, bearing the logo of the store on the front. The twins were talking and laughing with one another and for a moment, Alexis paused to watch them, amazed at how close their brotherly bond was.

"Oi, it's Lexi," she heard Fred say and both the twins' hazel brown eyes fell on her immediately. It was quite surprising that they'd spotted her that far down the street.

Both twins made their way over to her, greeting her with bright, mischievous smiles as they did so. Once a troublemaker, Alexis greeted them with her own mischievous smirk and received rather awkward hugs from each of the twins as they struggled to keep hold of their purchases. She chuckled and found herself a lot less troubled when she was with them.

"What are you doing here?" George asked, rocking back and forth on his feet.

"Nothing really…going for a walk," she replied. "What's that you got there?"

"We're restocking, Fred grinned extravagantly. "We were going to use some of our own inventions but they haven't been tested yet," he continued to explain.

"So for a little bit of laugh in the mundane everyday school life," George added after his twin. "Some gags from Zonko's will do."

Alexis laughed softly. "I should've known," she said.

"Thank you by the way," George said, gazing into her beautiful eyes as discreetly as he could. "Thanks for the Ghost Necklace you gave us right before we boarded the train."

"Yeah, it made getting in, out, and around Hogwarts much, much easier," said Fred.

"Filch has got nothing on us now," George grinned.

"Especially when we tricked him into eating those Ton-Tongue Toffees," Fred grinned.

Listening to them, Alexis couldn't help but feel a little more cheerful. She needed more innocent fun and games in her life. For a few minutes, she'd stayed to listen to the twins' adventures and numerous pranks they've already pulled at the magnificent Hogwarts castle. It soon came late and Alexis realized she must let them return to their dormitory despite how much she wanted to hear more of their adventures.

"It's late," she said in a mature but gentle sort of tone. "I think you two should be heading back to school. Wouldn't Harry and the others wonder if you were gone for too long?"

"Yeah, I guess they would," said Fred, seeming to think about it.

"Where will you be going then?" George asked. "You seem like you'd just got here."

"I was actually planning on going to the Shrieking Shack but…"

"I'll go with you," he said immediately. George suddenly shoved his armful of purchases over to his brother, causing Fred and stagger back and forth to catch his balance. "Fred can go back alone. I'll sneak back in later through one of the secret entrances."

"I don't know. I don't think it's such a good idea."

Fred sighed and rolled his eyes at his twin. "It's alright Lexi," he said. "Georgie wants a little one on one time and I'm the third wheel," he teased, causing a deep blush to appear on George's pale cheeks.

"Shut it," George said. "Ruddy pumpkin head."

Alexis laughed gently and shook her head. "Whatever pleases you then," she said.

Without any further discussion, Fred had returned to Hogwarts with both his and his twin's purchases from Zonko's while George took a walk with Alexis from Hogsmeade up to the Shrieking Shack. They were treading through the large field of tall grass that swayed with the night's gentle wind. The two of them had just made it to the fence and growing tired of the sudden silence, George decided to ask Alexis about her troubles.

He asked her about her row with Tonks—the last time they met, Alexis was in a foul mood but didn't speak of it at all. Softly, Alexis explained to him her and Tonks' opposing claims on Mad-Eye Moody's motive and whether he was trustworthy or not. George had expressed to her that although he couldn't see anything wrong with Moody while in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, he still trusted in Alexis' claims because she wasn't one to make false accusations and her eye for details was extraordinary.

"…I mean, you're one of the few people who could easily spot the differences between me and Freddie, so of course I'd trust you," said George.

"I wouldn't use that reason if I were you," Alexis said as they walked together up the broken dirt path that led to the Shrieking Shack.

"What do you mean?" George asked.

"I must confess," she began. "For this particular occasion, I didn't claim that Moody was untrustworthy based on details and facts but rather from what I saw and…word from another person…an untrustworthy source…"

"But you'd seen it, right?" George was trying to think of what exactly was happening.

"Yes…but that alone isn't enough to prove that Moody is up to something."

"Who'd you hear it from then?" he asked. "Who told you Moody is untrustworthy?"

It was quite strange that Alexis felt more comfortable around George Weasley than anyone else at the moment. The odd connection they share was unexplainable but she was thankful for it. She didn't have to hide anything with him and she didn't have to fear him judging her or growing angry and irritated with her. For some reason, George was always on her side and if he wasn't, he was helping her still.

"Remember how I once told you that my family, by tenuous connections, is related to the Malfoys?" she asked and George nodded. He and his twin had expressed their sympathy for Alexis having to admit she was related to the likes of Draco Malfoy. "Well Narcissa Malfoy…is my biological aunt…" she paused for a moment, thinking. "She didn't exactly say it but somewhat communicated to me that Moody wasn't trustworthy and I should be cautious of him and whatever his motive is. It's strange but I have a feeling that she wasn't lying to me, though…I have no logic to back this claim up."

"Do you like your aunt?" George asked her.

"Well…I haven't been in contact with her for many years."

"What's she like?"

Alexis paused. She didn't know how to explain it. "I don't know."

George bit his bottom lip and as they walked, he was quiet in thought. After a while, he finally spoke again. "I think…that you should trust in your own feelings. If you think that Moody is untrustworthy then don't doubt yourself. If it turns out that he is up to something, then you're right. If not, then it's alright. We all make mistakes," he smiled.

"You make everything sound so easy," she said, amazed at his innocent nature.

"It depends how you look at it really. In a way, life _is_ very easy."

For some peculiar reason, the lonely and dreary broken dirt path up to the Shrieking Shack was echoing with laughter and glistening with smiles that night. Although the cold and pale full moon shined brightly overhead, Alexis' worried heart was easily assuaged by George Weasley. He did so with no effort at all.

When the pair of them finally got up to the Shrieking Shack, they were surprised to find it empty and completely unused. Surely Tonks' protection charms couldn't have worked that good. The shack looked completely abandoned and soon, Alexis realized that they must have chosen another location for Remus' transformation.

"Where do you think they went?" George asked, looking around the area.

"No idea," Alexis replied.

Like George, she too was walking around the area surrounding the Shrieking Shack, wondering where Tonks, Remus, Sirius, and Silvia had gone for Remus' full moon transformation. There weren't many places they could use but no matter how deep Alexis looked within her mind, she couldn't find any other place they could or would use.

"Bloody hell!" George suddenly yelled.

Quickly, Alexis looked back at him to find George jumping out of the tall grass, his hands thrown into the air as he had dodged something. She ran over to him immediately, reacting fast with her wand out and ready to strike.

"George, what's wrong?" she asked.

Before George could answer, Alexis suddenly found a strange little creature scurrying around in the grass. The creature was a short, dwarf-like creature wearing a blood red cap on its head. Alexis knew immediately that it was a Red Cap and it was trying to bludgeon them. She jumped back, dodging another blow from it. There were more behind it and she sighed, knowing she'd have to fight them off.

"What are those?" George asked.

"Red Caps—do you remember the charm that you have to use to get rid of them?"

"Oh yes. We learned about them in Defense Against the Dark Arts," said George.

He soon had his wand out and while George spoke the incantation aloud, Alexis casted them silently. Trails of vivid red lights shot out from their wands and when the jets of light hit the Red Caps, they were scared and startled off. As Alexis fought off the group of five Red Caps with George, she suddenly realized something.

"Hang on," she said. "Keep one."

"How?"

"_Stupefy_," she said. A stunning spell shot out from her wand like a gunshot and it knocked the Red Cap over, unconscious. With another wave of her wand, she'd managed to bind it in dark brown ropes.

"Why do we need to keep one?" George asked while helping Alexis pull the Red Cap up and examining the location they'd been lingering about.

"Red Caps are found anywhere blood had been spilt," Alexis explained. "For Remus' case, Frank Bryce's body was found here. Why were there so many Red Caps?"

George held the dwarf-like creature as Alexis hopped into the grass and began to look around, muttering something about how careless the Ministry of Magic was. She seemed to be looking for something and he soon joined her. They looked low on the ground of the tall field of grass. At first, George thought they wouldn't be able to find anything; however, it was he who found a most peculiar piece of information. Looking around, George had treaded upon a long trail of blood which according to Alexis and his last few Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, was enough to attract at least four or five Red Caps.

"Why is there a huge trail of dried blood here?" he asked, not wanting to touch the trail of dark brown dried blood.

"Frank Bryce's body was said to be found here," Alexis said, remembering the information that Kingsley had revealed to her from Remus' case. "But there's this huge trail of dried blood that the Ministry had overlooked. This means…that the body was dragged here. It has to be! The Shrieking Shack wasn't the first scene of the crime!"

* * *

><p>In the middle of the night, the pale and icy face of the full moon was cloaked behind a veil of rolling grey clouds. The candlelight beams of the moonlight cascaded through the branches of the woods, casting specks of milky lights on the forest floor. In a clearing in the middle of the woods, a lonely cottage sat, quiet and still beneath the silver moon. The playful fights between the dog and the wolf, two old friends, inside the solemn cottage had come to a stop when the night turned late. The dog had transformed back to a man while the wolf laid resting on the edge of the glass-like barrier dividing the inside of the cottage in two. He was awaiting the rising sun when he too would turn back into a man.<p>

Sirius Black and Silvia White were asleep side by side, leaning on the same wall with the cold icy beams of the moonlight escaping inside through the crevices of the old cottage. Silvia's head was rested on Sirius' shoulder, both peacefully asleep. Across the room from them, Nymphadora Tonks was situated in the corner, wide awake. Her dark green eyes twinkled in the night as she watched the impatient werewolf pace back and forth on the far side of the cottage. She was trying hard to fall asleep but she just couldn't close her eyes and shut out the world when every few seconds, the haunted wolf in front of her would wince from the cuts and scratches he'd caused himself during transformation.

Eventually, knowing that in no way would she be able to fall asleep, Tonks got up to her feet and walked over to where the glass-like barrier was set. She sat down beside it and watched him from there. Remus had suddenly stopped his pacing and turned to her, his feral amber eyes soft and gentle. Although he was currently a wolf, Remus still looked at her the same way as he always did—he gazed upon her with a loving and gentle look of doting affection.

Tonks smiled. "Wotcher, Remus," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

She could see his ears perk up. Remus looked at her for a moment longer. Something must've gone through his head as suddenly he carried himself over to her. Remus winced once from the large gash he'd inflicted upon himself during the confusion of his transformation. He then situated himself down in front of her, his paws resting in front of him and his head up.

As she looked at him, Tonks noticed the resemblance between the man and the wolf. There was still Remus Lupin underneath these claws and fur. He still looked shabby and lanky like Remus did. He still looked sad, scared, and haunted like the essence of Remus' soul he'd tried to deny. He still looked at her tenderly like Remus always did. And he even smelled like books and chocolate like Remus always did. The wolf was still Remus. The only thing the full moon did was hide him underneath an illusion of danger and fangs.

"You'll listen to me, won't you?" Tonks asked. She wondered if he understood her.

He seemed to have understood and he seemed to be replying to her question. Remus laid down on his stomach and rested his head on his paws, looking up at her, waiting.

"Hmm," said Tonks. "I guess the only difference between you having wolfsbane and not having wolfsbane is that without it, you're just a little more playful."

She smiled. He looked.

"Oh and territorial," she added, laughing softly as she remembered when Remus had barked at Sirius for going near his pile of clothes that was torn and laid in a small heap after transformation. "I'm just glad you didn't _mark your spot_ by peeing," she grinned.

He continued to look at her. The wolf, although couldn't really understand her, was fascinated by her gleaming smile. Her pale, heart-shaped face lit up the night just like the moon did, although her face was not cold and icy like the moon. She smiled often for some reason and he wanted to try but he could not smile without seeming menacing. He didn't want to seem menacing to her. Though the wolf does not know of exactly how much the man inside him loves this woman, he did know that he wanted her to stay forever. He didn't want to scare her away.

"I know now's a rather bad time to confide in you because you can't give me any advice and you may not even remember this," Tonks began, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging her legs as she spoke with him. "But I'm feeling conflicted."

The most of a reply he could give her was a gentle growl. He also raised an eyebrow and shifted so that he had a clearer view of her lovely face without straining his neck. She was so beautiful. As he laid there listening to her, he found himself lost in her entrancing eyes. Her eyes spoke volumes. They spoke something that words could never fully say. Looking at her, he suddenly remembered the last time the true werewolf and the woman had met. It was more than half a year ago in the winter. On December's moon, he'd seen her and wondered if he would ever be able to call her mate. But now, on September's moon, he'd met her again and could finally call her _mate_.

"Remus, you know how much Lexi means to me," she spoke again. She was talking about another person now, a girl that the man knew. "I love my cousin. But Mad-Eye, he's my mentor and…it's quite strange but I love him too." She sighed. "They're both saying two different things. Mad-Eye says he's not up to anything. Lexi says he's up to no good." She sighed again. He could see that she was really troubled. "I don't know who to believe."

Her twinkling dark emerald eyes met his amber ones, searching for an answer. He didn't know what to do or how to respond to her and so he simply laid there and looked back into her eyes, allowing himself to get lost in there. Looking into her eyes, he felt like he'd fallen into trackless seas of emerald.

"It's stupid of me to hope for a response," she laughed softly.

Pulling away from her eyes, he was now distracted by her smile. Her full red lips, though were smiling, didn't seem entirely happy. Her usual grin was burdened by the weights she was carrying on her shoulders and though he didn't know how, he wanted to lighten her burden.

Tonks then sighed again. She stretched her arms and then set them down at her side, looking at him. A million thoughts were racing through her mind and Tonks couldn't make them out clearly. There was one feeling, one particular desire that seemed to overrule all the others inside her mind however. Tonks wanted to be closer to him.

She made a face and looked at the glass-like barrier, wondering how exactly she would do that. Not a lot of thought were put into her action as Tonks slowly reached for the barrier which though was solid to Remus, was ethereal to her.

"You wouldn't hurt me, would you?" she asked him softly.

He looked but his loving eyes were unchanging.

"I'm going to try something," she said.

Very slowly, Tonks dipped her hand in through the barrier. It felt like water upon her skin and the rest of the veil rippled as Tonks' hand traveled through. She reached in further until finally, her hand was inside. As gently as she possibly could, Tonks placed the warm palm of her hand on Remus' head. His eyes closed suddenly and she wondered what he was thinking. Tonks stroked her hand up and down his head, the warmth escaping from her palm and traveled over to his skin. Remus made a low and soft growl but he did nothing more than that.

"No response again," she laughed softly.

As her gentle hand stroked the top of his head, he couldn't help but feel something inside of him begin to surface. He closed his eyes and lingered on that strange feeling for a moment. He could smell flesh, human flesh, mixed with a delicious scent of lavender and chamomile. It was her scent, her addicting, intoxicating scent. He recognized this scent and as her palm continued to touch his skin, he relaxed significantly.

"You'd never hurt me," she said, smiling ardently.


	15. The Touch of a Woman

**Author's Note:**

I got a pottermore account! It's WildPixie11075 if anyone wants to add me xD and yes I am obsessed with Harry Potter still and always will be xD Also, once again (I think something's wrong with my fan fiction account) but I can't access anything under my Traffic Stats bar so I can't see the reviews or hits to even look at them. I'm sorry I can't respond to your reviews in this chapter, hopefully next chapter :( But I thank you anyways for your support and I hope you continue to like my story xD

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><p><strong>Chapter 15 – The Touch of a Woman<strong>

Morning came on swift wings to the lonely cottage in the middle of Kent's woods. Broken sunlight cascaded through the wild, tangled branches and tree tops, creeping inside the decrepit cottage through its cracks and crevices. Outside, the brilliant morning sun glistened in flaming vermillion as it began its ascension into the tranquil skies of dawn. The pale, icy full moon of the night before had waned, marking another thirty days before it returns. On that quiet, post-moon morning, the air was still and gentle.

Her eyes flickered open, cringing against the golden lights that had consumed the inside of the small cottage. Silvia groaned at the aching stiffness in her neck from sleeping upwards all night. She turned and blinked several times, her vision beginning to clear up and her chocolaty caramel brown eyes suddenly met Sirius' haunted, piercing grey ones several tiny inches away.

"Oh my god," Silvia gasped. She pulled back swiftly, patted her chest and took a deep breath but still smiled nonetheless. "Good morning, Padfoot."

"Good morning!" he grinned. He was practically beaming up at her. "Finally, someone's awake! I was rendered bored to tears!"

"Aren't Remus and Tonks up yet?"

Before Silvia could turn back to the whole of the room to look for the sleeping lovebirds, Sirius suddenly grabbed her face with both hands and turned her head in a not-so-gentle manner. He kept her eyes on him and him alone, nothing else as if there was something he desperately did not want her to see. The look in his eyes said so.

"I wouldn't turn around if I were you."

Silvia raised an eyebrow. "And why not?"

The look in Sirius' eyes turned to a strange mixture of horror and amusement. He bit his bottom lip and swallowed hard before speaking. Sirius was usually rather straightforward and his hesitance made Silvia worry a bit. "Well…unless if you want to look, then by all means go right ahead…but Remus is stark naked over there," he said.

Her eyes widened as she faintly replied, "oh…"

"Yeah," Sirius laughed nervously. He stroked the bottom of his chin where his short and nicely trimmed goatee was, accompanied by his light moustache. Sirius seemed like he was put in a rather awkward position. Something must've come up in his mind as his grey eyes suddenly lit up and he asked rather enthusiastically, "Fancy going for a walk?"

"Of course," Silvia replied instantly.

"Up you get then," he said, bouncing to his feet and helping her up.

Silvia had tried hard not to turn back around less she put herself in a very awkward situation like Sirius had. He was taking it very well though, she thought, seeing his best friend lying stark naked on the floor next to his baby cousin. Sirius and Silvia snuck out of the cottage as quietly as possible, pulling the creaking door to a close behind them. They then stretched and yawned several times outside the run-down wooden walls of the cottage before venturing into the woods surrounding them. As she walked, Silvia realized Sirius knew these woods quite well.

"Any particular destination in mind, Sirius?" she asked softly, not wanting to instigate him and pick a fight so early in the morning. She can begin to playfully bicker with Sirius when mid-day comes near.

"Not really," he said, walking a tad bit ahead of her. Sirius suddenly stopped, thought about something, and then grinned again. "Actually…I want to take you somewhere," he said and took her hand suddenly, leading as she followed.

Sirius _really_ knew these woods well. He seemed to have memorized every broken dirt path that ran through the woods, every position of the trees and where every thicket, every shrub, and every flower sat. She followed close behind him and Silvia would watch as Sirius often stopped to reminisce on a past long gone while he stared blankly into the trees.

"Where exactly are we going?" Silvia questioned as they came up towards more trees.

"To the gateway," Sirius explained.

"The what?"

Although Silvia's question wasn't initially answered, she paused momentarily and forgot about her question as she gazed upon the old, abandoned tree house that sat several feet above them. The house was still sturdy and stably held in between two tall oak trees. Its wooden planks were rotting but the small wooden box seemed to be held up by an unfading magic.

"Why is there a tree house in the middle of the woods?" she asked, feeling that Kent's Woods is definitely not what it appears to be. She could feel magic pulsing from the tree house.

"No idea," Sirius replied. "But it's been here ever since I was a little kid and it still remains. It's a gateway you know. I took Lexi and Tonks here all the time when they were little. They used to love hiding from Ted and Andromeda by this."

"What exactly does it do?" Silvia asked, following Sirius cautiously as they approached the derelict old tree house. "How is it a gateway?"

"Very ancient magic," Sirius began as he stepped onto the wooden ladder under the tree house. "Muggles can't see these of course. Warlocks in the middle ages set these up to connect cities, towns, a provinces together so they can get from place to place faster without the need for portkey or apparition and not draw muggle attention."

She blinked once. Silvia remembered Mad-Eye Moody lecturing her about something like what Sirius had just said in the early days of her auror training. It was so long ago however and she couldn't exactly remember what the paranoid old auror had said.

"Where does this one lead to?" she asked, believing in Sirius' words. They were magical folks after all and anything was possible.

"Follow me."

Sirius climbed first, making his way up to the Tree House Gateway by the very unstable and doubtful looking wooden ladder below. He vanished up into the wooden box and Silvia saw no sign of life inside the small tree house. She waited for a moment and Sirius suddenly stuck his head back down the entrance to the tree house, holding his hand out and beckoning her onwards.

Throwing caution to the wind, something no auror should be caught doing, Silvia followed Sirius without fear. She trusted him and knew he wouldn't lead her into danger. Carefully, she climbed up the unsteady ladder that rocked and creaked under her feet. She reached for Sirius' hand and when she looked up, all Silvia could see was a very bright and golden light coming from the entrance to the tree house. She hadn't seen it before. The golden light looked a lot like gleaming sunlight.

This can't possibly be a gateway to heaven, she thought before seeing the whole scene.

It wasn't exactly heaven, but it was still a tranquil place of Eden nonetheless. Silvia's eyes widened as she marveled how she'd practically just slipped through space. She was no longer in the vast and lonely woods of Kent. She was now in a field, a very large field that was overfilled with dry golden grass swept to the side by the warm, gentle wind. The brilliant golden sun was beating down on them, drowning their world in endless summer. It was warm and she suddenly felt very light there.

Down beside her feet where she stood, Silvia saw that she was now standing beside what looked like a door leading straight into the ground. It was wooden, covered in dead grass, and looking an awful lot like an entrance to someone's cellar except without a house accompanying it. It was strange and like the tree house, she could feel magic pulsing from it.

Silvia turned to Sirius who stood beside her with a wistful smile on his darkly handsome face. Memories seem to be flickering through his mind—she could see it through his clairvoyant grey eyes. She'd seen Sirius smile before but never a wistful smile. This place must mean something to him, something very dear…as if it was the essence of his childhood.

"Sirius, where are we?" Silvia asked.

"Home," he said softly.

They gazed at the beautiful horizon for a little bit longer. A long way across the field, there was another thicket of trees sticking up, perhaps another woods somewhere in England. This field of dry, golden grass must be situated on a highland because the wind constantly swept the grass, making it sway gently side to side. The sun was close to them, so close that it didn't feel impossible to reach up and stroke the face of the sun. To the west, they feel as if they could run on endlessly through the field, run into the setting sun.

Walking around the field, Silvia basked in the golden, ethereal sunlight and danced in the high grass. Sirius watched her for a while and his smile turned from wistful to plain sadness. He was longing something, holding onto a distant memory. She questioned him and finally he explained to her what that place was and what it meant to him.

"I used to take Lexi and Tonks here to fly kites," Sirius began. "This place had the best wind and when Tonks was little, she didn't like the cold too much so the warm winds here made her happier. The three of us would spend endless afternoons here, hiding out from Andromeda—much to her relief I'm guessing—and stare at the rolling clouds. When I went to Hogwarts, I took Remus and James here during the summer as well. They never went by that entrance though…there's another entrance which I'll tell you about later. Remus, James, and I also spent a significant part of our summers here. It's rather peaceful, you know."

Sirius paused and Silvia looked at him softly. She couldn't explain why she felt the need to do so but as she looked into his reminiscent eyes, she'd suddenly stroked his hand with the tips of her fingers. As if she wanted to comfort him, she took his hand gently. Sirius responded warmly and laced his fingers in between hers, fitting perfectly. Then, as if the feeling had never left them, all sorts of emotions and memories came rushing back…

His piercing grey eyes lost themselves in her chocolaty caramel ones for a while before Sirius quickly cleared his throat and looked away. Silvia didn't know this but he was reminding himself not to get too close to her again. Sirius always felt they were both two very different people now and whatever happened would never again work out—Silvia wanted to settle down and Sirius had not yet lived his life.

"Anyways," Sirius said, not even knowing why he suddenly had the urge and temptation to take her to his solace. "Um…Andromeda and I spent a large part of our childhood here too. As you know, Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy are also two of my cousins, Andromeda's blood sisters—they and Marcus…Marcus Black, Lexi's father."

"There were five of you," Silvia said, beginning to figure his story out. "You were close…weren't you? You were close with them…even with Narcissa and-and Bellatrix."

He nodded.

"You miss it don't you, your childhood?"

Once again, Sirius nodded. He drew a breath and spoke again. "Those were the good old days," he confided in her, trusting her. "Those were the beautiful days before war tore our family apart and changed everyone…" Sadness took over his haunted grey eyes. "You see those trees over there?" he asked, pointing towards the thicket of trees in the near horizon. "Go through those, walk for a little bit, and you'll come out onto a small road in the outskirts of London where several beautiful mansions reside. That road is called Désir Lane and that thicket, along with this field is known as Cirque Hideout. In the old days, this place used to hold a marvelous circus, that's why it's known as Cirque Hideout. When I turned three, the circus disbanded and we took over this place as our own hideout. No one knows about it I don't think—the very few who does had probably moved and carried on with their lives. Across those woods, several blocks away from Désir Lane…is Grimmauld Place."

"I-I've heard of that," Silvia said suddenly, scouring through her memories. "You, yes you told me a while back that your mother lived at Grimmauld Place."

Sirius chuckled. "You remember what I say," he said and Silvia explicitly blushed. "Yes, my mother lived at Grimmauld Place. Number 12 Grimmauld Place to be exact. That was _my_ family home. The main Black family home is situated on Number 8 Désir Lane. I can never find that old mansion though. Whoever was there last had bewitched it. I can only find Number 12 Grimmauld Place, even though it's unplottable, because _I_ am the owner!"

"So we're basically in London now," said Silvia. "We're at your home."

"The essence of my childhood," Sirius sighed. "Oh yes."

* * *

><p>Feeling suddenly colder in the quiet post-moon morning, Tonks stirred awake, turned to her side, and opened her eyes slowly. She was facing the spot where Sirius and Silvia had fallen asleep last night. Much to her surprise, they were gone. There was no one there besides Tonks, Remus, and a million shimmering beams of sunlight that were like stars cascading through the tiny holes, cracks, and crevices of the old cottage. With Sirius and Silvia gone, the lonely cottage in the middle of Kent's Woods felt slightly colder. Nevertheless, the golden sunlight smiled upon them and soon Tonks began to warm up. She sighed and rubbed her sleepy eyes as she looked up towards the badly boarded window. This lonely cottage was her little haven under the skies when she was younger—she couldn't believe it was still a haven after so many years.<p>

A faint rustling noise sounded from behind her and Tonks turned around, expecting to see Remus' smiling face. She was met with a sight she strangely hadn't expected and Tonks couldn't help but giggle nervously while attempting to hide the scarlet blush that had taken over her cheeks. Her emerald green eyes were trying hard to focus on Remus' sleepy face while other traits of his were serving as terribly humorous distractions.

Remus was lying on his side, sleepily rubbing his weary face as he began to wake. Cuts and bruises from a wild transformation covered his body and on his torso, several deep gashes were still seeping with blood. His light brown hair was disheveled and messy, partially covering his face as he laid there. Remus stirred and yawned softly, beginning to open his eyes. Twinkling emerald greens met with lucid sapphire blues and Tonks knew at once that Remus was back to being himself despite traces of him showing through from the wolf the night before.

"Wotcher Remus," said Tonks, reaching for the blanket they'd both kicked aside.

He was too tired, his wounds still pained and his bones still ached too much for him to get up. Remus sighed and simply lay there, smiling up at her through a very pallid face. "Good morning, Nymphadora," he said tenderly.

"Feeling a slight bit better?" she asked him, straightening out the blanket casually.

His eyes were watching as her mousy brown hair turned into a magnificent shade of glowing bubblegum pink. Remus smiled and nodded, wondering why there was an oddly mischievous twinkle in her lovely eyes, mixed with a hint of embarrassment and seasoned with the scarlet blush she had upon her already rosy cheeks.

"Something's up," Remus said.

"Off rather," Tonks corrected him, failing to conceal a laugh. She gracefully leaned towards him and covered him entirely in the warm, fuzzy, navy blue blanket she'd been unfolding in her hands seconds ago. It was then that Remus realized what she found so amusing and like Tonks, a crimson red blush had crept onto his face. "Feeling breezy, Remus?" Tonks joked, laughing naturally now.

Embarrassed, Remus licked his lips and reached his hand up to rub the back of his neck, suddenly finding a spot on the wooden floorboards very interesting. He stared at it, wishing that he could just vanish from the face of the Earth that very instant.

"Oh come on, there's nothing to be ashamed about," said Tonks as if it was nothing. "In case you've forgotten…I've seen everything about you and vice versa," she laughed.

"I'm not embarrassed because of that," Remus replied, chuckling softly but still blushing.

"What are you embarrassed about then?" Tonks asked, helping him sit up and wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. She shifted so that she now sat in front of him, their knees touching as she began stroking his hair back and healing several of his cuts with her wand through a simple charm she'd learned from Mad-Eye.

"Where are Sirius and Silvia?" Remus asked, his face suddenly looking like he was about to pop with utter humiliation.

"They've gone somewhere…" Tonks paused. Her eyes widened and then a great laugh escaped from her, sounding almost like an obnoxious guffaw mixed with a loud snort. "Oh bloody hell!" she bellowed. "You don't think…"

"Oh I do think…" Remus replied, smiling, embarrassed.

As Tonks helped Remus back into his clothes so that he no longer felt embarrassed being stark naked, she still couldn't help herself from snickering every time she thought of Sirius and Silvia which was a lot that morning. Remus continued to smile, feeling more embarrassed that he'd ever felt his entire life. Finally, Tonks had managed to put a stop to her laughing, deciding that she can hold it until she got home later then laugh and kick hysterically with no one judging her sanity. She comforted Remus as she continued to heal his wounds, telling him that Sirius had no doubt seen him naked before too and Silvia probably saw nothing.

"Nymphadora, everything was hanging out," said Remus, flushing red but smirking.

Tonks face-palmed herself and had another laughing fit. Her hysteria continued on for several more minutes and finally came to an end when her side began to hurt and she had to gasp for breath almost like she'd been through a harsh battle—a battle with laughter.

"Can we please talk about something else?" she implored. "I'm practically dying!"

Remus sighed but the genuine smile never left his face. He tried to think of other things and forget about his embarrassment. He thought about Tonks' fingers trailing on his skin, her fingertips across the many scars that lined his body. She was healing him, mostly with her wand but her touch was gentle and warm. Tonks caressed him like he was treasure—he was to her, the greatest treasure in the world. Remus found himself watching her intently as she carefully mended each and every one of his cut so that not even a scar remained. She'd often feather him with kisses as she did so and feeling unable to control himself, Remus ended up shifting so that she now sat in his embrace and he too feathered her with kisses. His lips trailed up and down her neck while he lingered in her intoxicating aroma. She smelled of lavender and chamomile, reminding him of the love and tenderness he'd always get from her. He was reminded constantly of that strange, impeccable happiness he'd get from her. It was love.

"When'd you get so playful?" she asked, amused as he began to gently nibble on her ear.

He shrugged. "Perhaps it's the moon's fault," he replied.

"Liar," she said and helped him slip on his thin, light brown blazer and straightening his shirt and collar as she put it on him carefully.

"I'm not lying," Remus replied, taking her hands and holding her warm palms to his cheeks, relishing in the warmth. "I'm honest when I say that with you, post-moon mornings are now so very different—even this one which had come from a night without wolfsbane."

Tonks smiled as she placed a brief but gentle and sincere kiss upon his lips. "I told you. You'd never hurt me, at least not on purpose," she said in a silky voice.

"It'll always be like this you know," he said with a warning edge to his tone as if wanting her to reconsider her decision of being with him. Remus was always like that. "I'll never stop being a werewolf. It'll always be like this."

"Then so be it," said Tonks, kissing his lips again with a peck.

"Love, you'll be wasting your life away."

Tonks made a face and scowled at him. "Why do you always try to push me away?"

"I'm not," he said immediately. "Nymphadora, you don't understand how lucky I feel to have you. I just…I don't want you to waste away because of me." He stroked her cheek tenderly and gazed into the vast and endless world in her eyes. "I want you to have the best. Sadly, I am not the best…"

"Remus, shut it before I hex you into a tea cozy," Tonks sighed. "You're the best for me and you better believe it because I'm not getting into this argument again." She held his face and looked into his own eyes, the trackless seas that were concealed behind his gentle blues.

He nodded. Tonks had gotten used to Remus' phase of self-doubt and insecurity after every full moon. She held him in her arms and kissed his lips gently, pulling up away from all of that. She played with his lips and relished in the kiss. When they pulled apart after a long while, Tonks saw that Remus was smiling but she could sense another question on the tip of his tongue. She'd almost tasted it during their kiss.

"I still never understood what you saw in me, a ragged, jobless old werewolf."

She no longer bothered to scold him for his insecurities. Self-doubt and insecurities were a part of being Remus Lupin and she'd long gotten used to it. He was a selfless man, to the point where he'd abandon himself for others. Tonks stroked his face—she wasn't going to argue with him. Showering him in her affection should be enough to show him how she felt, she hoped.

As Tonks' fingertips continued to trail across his skin, Remus closed his eyes and lived through every second, cherishing it. Her touch was warm and gentle and he loved it. He was quickly becoming addicted to it. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and sat her upon his legs, slowly living the quiet day. They didn't quite know what the course of the day would be. All they knew and cared about was that at the moment, they had each other and were enjoying the gentle air like any other couple in the early morning.

"What shall we do afterwards?" Remus asked after a long time.

"No idea," Tonks replied, shrugging her shoulders. "We should visit Harry again—ask him what's been going on and stuff like that. I actually really miss him!"

Remus chuckled. "And what else shall we do after that?"

"I don't know…work on my case I'm guessing," she said. "I mean, I haven't been getting anywhere with them and Scrimgeour's on my arse for not having any improvements. Perhaps you could help me, Remus. You're brilliant and you'd be of wonderful help."

"This isn't another excuse so that you could take a break from your work again, is it?"

Tonks smirked while Remus playfully narrowed his eyes at her. "No," she laughed.

"Yes honey, very believable," Remus smiled. "What will we do after that?"

She huffed and looked to a corner of the run-down ceiling in thought.

Remus sat waiting, holding her and kneading her lower back with his fingertips while blowing gentle gusts of air into her face. Tonks chuckled but then returned to thinking again. Her pensive look deepened but then suddenly disappeared altogether.

"I can't think of anything at all! What do you want to do?"

"Maybe…maybe it would be a good idea if we sat down and talked with Lexi," Remus suggested carefully, speaking the thing that had been on his mind for a while.

He knew Tonks was unhappy without her secretly eccentric cousin, her partner in crime, at her side. Though Sirius was still there, Remus knew that Tonks was still missing the older sister she'd always had in her life. It was time to resolve the strangely hysterical disagreement between Alexis and Tonks.

"Talk about Mad-Eye again?" Tonks sighed. "No thank you. I don't feel like being on the receiving end of an unreasonable Black family tantrum."

"Come now," said Remus in a tempting voice. "You miss Lexi. Talk to her."

"She's keen on being mad with me."

"If you don't talk, you'll never resolve this and will always be mad at each other," said Remus. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Eventually, Tonks rolled her eyes, sighed, and nodded. Remus smiled.

"Alright, I'll talk to Lexi soon," she said, shaking her head at her lover.

* * *

><p>Morning lapsed into the early afternoon. The blazing sun began to beat down upon them, radiating waves of heat that a late September's morning usually did not have. No matter, Sirius and Silvia still laid peacefully in the field of dry, golden grass, lying on their backs as they closed their eyes and smiled up at the sun. It had been like that for hours and never did Sirius thought he would enjoy it so much. A strange feeling twisted inside of him. He was chained by longing to that place, to Cirque Hideout, the essence of his childhood. Sirius did not want to leave. Longing for a childhood long gone was not the only thing on his mind however. Inside his heart, he was twisting and seething with a desire for Silvia White. He just didn't want to admit it.<p>

"This is nice," said Sirius to destroy the silence that was growing uncomfortable. He wasn't used to not talking—to not act obnoxious and unpredictable. "I love the feeling of being completely blinded by the sun."

"It was your idea," said Silvia, her Spanish accent making her words nearly impossible to understand. Her voice was ethereal and mellow as if she was a pleasant ghost singing songs. "You were the one who wanted to stay here for a while."

"Bugger," said Sirius.

For a long time, they continued to lay there under the warm, golden lights of the sun, enveloped in warmth. Sirius sat up slowly and turned to face Silvia, still searching for something else to talk about. He didn't like silence and couldn't quite understand why Silvia seemed to love it so much. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was fast asleep.

When Sirius' eyes lingered on her darkly beautiful face for a little longer, Sirius found himself caught up by her beauty. Dark eyeliner, as black as coal, had shaped and further defined her entrancing eyes. Other than her eyes, no other traces of makeup or cosmetics were found on her fresh morning face. Her lips were paler than usual but still seductive nonetheless. Her dark brown curls flowed more freely, looking windswept and reminded him of freedom.

Sirius blinked.

"Hey Silv," he called. Something clicked inside his mind as if a memory had flashed by at amazing speed. He used to say those two words all the time back in school—to get her attention, to say hello, and so forth.

Silvia opened her eyes and looked into his. He could feel her gaze deepen. "Yes?"

Caught awkwardly speechless, Sirius didn't know why he'd needed her attention in the first place. He fumbled with his thoughts for a moment before spewing something out unplanned. "What do you plan on doing…with your life?" _What kind of question was that_, Sirius mused?

Like him, she shifted to her side and pushed herself up lazily, stretching her long, slender arms as she did so and drawing a gentle yawn. "I already am an auror, aren't I?" she replied. "That was my life's goal. I guess there's nothing else to do but work and hopefully find someone to settle down with," she told him casually.

This reminded Sirius of those quiet school day afternoons he'd spent courting her. She would tell him about what she wanted to do with her life—all her dreams and fantasies—while he listened and took genuine interest in them. It was happening again.

"Don't you want to _live_?" he asked.

"I _am_ living," she smiled. "I'm breathing, aren't I?"

He found himself rolling his eyes, forgetting all about the troublesome world they live in and only seeing Silvia and the beautiful field of grass they sat in.

Watching him, Silvia chuckled. "What is it you're trying to ask me?"

"Nothing really?" Sirius replied. "Hey, if you've gotten married already, why do you still want to settle down?" he asked suddenly as if unable to hold himself back.

Her expression changed significantly. The burdens on Silvia's shoulders suddenly seemed heavier and although her smile hadn't vanished, it softened and turned wistful. "With Ian, I never really got to settle down, did I? I want to settle down with someone I'll be with for a very long time…I want to start a family, you know?"

Sirius scoffed. "What's the fun in that?" he replied.

"Kids are loads of fun."

"Well, not when they're screaming and pounding their little fists at you."

"Trust me Sirius, when you become a father, you'll find that extremely adorable."

Jokingly, he narrowed his eyes upon her. "I _am_ a father."

"A godfather," she corrected. "But yes, a father nonetheless."

"And I will never, ever, _ever_, in a million years, find it adorable if Harry started screaming and pounding his rather large fist now at me."

He made her laugh and she could not hide it. Silvia giggled gently into her hand, shaking her head at him. "It'll be different when you have an actual baby, your son or daughter in your arms," she said. "Molly told me that parenthood is a daunting task but its rewards outweigh all."

"That's what they all say," said Sirius with a dismissive wave. "You're such a strange little creature, wanting kids and all. All the women I knew would never want to settle themselves down and put a stop to their lives with children."

"Sirius, all the women you knew were never decent besides your cousins, Lily and me."

"Yes but you don't hear Lexi or Tonks saying they want to screw their lives over having children," he retorted.

"They're too young," Silvia replied. "Sirius, I'm in my thirties. I don't have that many years left," she said, her tone turning softer and softer.

"Age doesn't matter," he replied.

Once again, Silvia smiled and shook her head. "We're too different."

"Oh yes we are," Sirius replied, laughing nervously as he thought about that. She wanted to settle down and Sirius wanted to live his life. They were way too different…but yet Sirius finds himself with an unexplainable attraction and longing for this woman, a longing he would not admit to.

During the pause in their conversation, Sirius suddenly spotted a tawny brown owl flying towards them from the clear horizon. He watched as the bird flew closer and closer, carrying a thin tan envelope in its beak. Finally, the owl came to a smooth landing in front of Silvia—the letter was addressed to her. The handsome owl dropped the letter into her hands before flying off again, obviously not expecting a reply.

"Who's it from?" Sirius asked curiously as she opened the letter and read it.

Her eyes skimmed the paper back and forth and over again. A bright grin danced across her lips and stayed there as Silvia sudden bounced up onto her feet. "It's from Kingsley," she said. "It's good news!"

"Well what news is that?" Sirius asked, extremely curious now.

"We have to get back to Remus and Tonks. They need to hear this too."

Feeling very reluctant to leave his serene escape behind, Sirius turned on his heels and followed Silvia anyways, his reason unknown. Yes, he was curious about the contents of the letter, but not enough to leave that place behind. And yet, without any spoken disagreement at all, Sirius was following behind Silvia as they rushed back through the wooden cellar door in the ground hidden in the tall grass. They fell out of the tree house but luckily landed softly on their feet. Together, Sirius and Silvia raced back to the lonely cottage in the middle of Kent's Woods, laughing as they made a game out of it. Sirius had transformed into a large black dog, his animagus form, and ran beside Silvia. She was laughing, gripping the letter tightly in her hand as she ran in a half-apparition form. To him, she looked like an angel soaring gracefully through the air. He barked and continued to race with her.

* * *

><p>Wallowing the morning away, Remus and Tonks both felt as though they've retreated from the woeful and problematic world and went away into their own little world where it was only them and the lonely cottage under the bright blue sky with golden sunlight that pierced through the tree branches.<p>

Tonks had spent her entire morning lazing around the cottage and its nearby exterior, recalling beautiful childhood memories of hers to Remus. She told him about the silly games she'd played with Sirius and Alexis when she was a child, how she'd hide out from her mother and father there, and about the strange gateway in the tree house somewhere near that took her to a place that was very far away.

Remus had a slight idea of the place she was talking about. She'd described to him a luscious field of windswept golden grass, nestled in a place that seemed in the middle of nowhere. What Tonks never knew was that it was very close to London, very close indeed.

"…and when I was eight, Lexi and I used this cottage to scar away the little kids in our neighborhood. We had them thinking the entire woods was haunted by the wicked ghost of a vengeful witch," Tonks laughed. "Oh yes, vengeful and wicked indeed."

"You were such a mischievous young lady, weren't you?" Remus asked, smiling as he held her hand while she spun and danced around him inside the cottage.

"You've no room to talk, Moony," Tonks teased. "Although you were the more sensible Marauder, Sirius told me you'd joined him and James in numerous elaborate pranks. That brilliant mind of yours was also the mastermind behind many more of them."

He laughed nervously, not liking the idea that Sirius often told his girlfriend about embarrassing facts of his past. "Well…it's just a little bit of laugh, you see."

"Sure, make up excuses," Tonks replied, smirking.

"What sort of pranks were _you_ up to then?" Remus asked. "I'm sure you'd been involved in many elaborate pranks as well during your school days."

"They weren't really elaborate," Tonks replied. "They were more like a creative struck of luck. Lexi usually came up with most of them, I just pull them out."

"Lexi was your partner in crime."

"Yes, even after she graduated…still helped me come up with one of the best school pranks ever, a present for the school right before graduation. We rigged every suit of armor and statues to start singing _The Weird Sisters_' songs whenever someone passed by and planted dungbombs under every single step of the massive flight of stairs," Tonks laughed. "It caused a complete chaos the week before school ended."

"How did you manage to…?"

"I'm a genius," Tonks grinned. "And Lexi's plans never fail."

Remus nodded, having noticed that whenever Tonks spoke about herself or her past, her cousin's name would often come up. Even if Tonks' relationship with Alexis was strained at the moment, she still could not deny that Alexis Black had played a significant part in her childhood and her finding of herself.

"You speak about Lexi a lot," Remus pointed out.

"I speak about everyone a lot," Tonks replied, her eyes looking down as she took a seat in the middle of the floor.

"Love, you miss your cousin."

"I don't miss Sirius at all," Tonks smirked.

Remus looked at her with a fixed gaze and Tonks quickly dissolved under it. She sighed and drew her knees up to her chest, hugging it. A gentle, comforting smile appeared on his face as Remus came over and kneeled down beside her, taking her into his warm embrace. Tonks wasn't tensed or angry, but she was troubled—it was more than obvious by the look in her eyes. Naturally, Tonks felt uncomfortable being in conflict with one of the people closest to her.

"She's still seething with anger," said Tonks.

"She's your cousin. She's not angry anymore, I'm sure."

"But Remus, I can't stand it when Lexi goes on about how Mad-Eye isn't trustworthy."

He sat down and sighed. Remus knew he couldn't convince Tonks to even consider the thought that there was something up with Mad-Eye, and he most definitely couldn't convince Alexis to stand down on her claim.

"How about this," said Tonks suddenly. She too wanted to be on good terms with her dear cousin again, that much he knew. "I'll talk with her and try to sort this out. But if Lexi goes rambling on and on about how Mad-Eye is a traitor without solid evidence, I can't promise you that I won't go off on her."

Remus nodded. At least she was open for conversation now. Helping Tonks sort out her problems with her cousin, Remus could help but feeling slightly less useless. He felt guilty that there was a sense of gladness inside him despite Tonks being so troubled. Remus was glad that he was of help and support to her, but he felt bad thinking that when Tonks was unhappy.

"Can we not talk about this anymore?" Tonks asked, trying to become cheerful again.

Again, Remus nodded. "Should we go find Sirius and Silvia then?"

Tonks shrugged. "I don't know. I had something else in mind," she replied.

"And that is?" Remus asked, amused.

"I don't know how to say it," said Tonks, flustered as she gently stroked his cheek.

In their relationship, Tonks had always been the one to initiate most of their intimacies. However, it did not mean that Remus loved Tonks any less. He actually always preferred it that way—it assured him that he wouldn't be bothering her.

Tonks ran her boney fingers gently through his light brown hair. Soon, Remus found himself acting on his own impulse and covering the small distance between them. His eyes met hers and the moment when sapphire blue met with emerald green, their lips touched. Remus and Tonks closed their eyes and lost themselves in yet another kiss. Although they'd had many kisses and many loving gestures, each one didn't mean any less to them and each one was still a toxic, loving adventure.

With a grace and coordination Tonks normally had none of, she positioned herself on top of Remus, cradling his torso with her slender legs as she held his face gently and kissed him on. His light brown hair which she'd been straightening out earlier had gone disheveled and messy, much like her own head of brilliantly pink hair. Remus' warm hands strayed below the hem of her shirt and onto her pale skin. His touch was loving and gentle—she drowned herself in him.

His post-moon mornings had become so different with the presence of Nymphadora Tonks in his life, that, Remus could not deny. What used to be a day spent wallowing in the dark depths of his mind had turned into a lazy sunlit day spent in the arms of his lover. A year ago, Remus would never think it possible. In fact, he'd think it a sin to even believe that one day…Remus Lupin would live like that.

"Nymphadora," he called gently. "I love you."

As her lips glided against his, Remus could feel her smiling.

"I love you," she replied in a gentle, melodic voice.

Their lover's tryst turned hotter and soon it felt as if the entire cottage was burning up. Fingertips strayed on smooth skin and passions soared like birds in the sky. Remus felt dazed by her presence and their kisses turned gentler and were no longer on the lips. He feathered her neck with kisses while her fingertips began to lift his shirt which moments ago she'd helped him put on. Remus' own fingers had latched onto her robes and took off her jacket. Blindly but smoothly, his hands made their way to her thin t-shirt she wore.

_Bang!_

Without warning, the wooden door to the lonely cottage burst open with Sirius and Silvia standing outside, breathing heavily and looking short of breath as if they'd just been running a marathon. Both their eyes fell upon the couple in the middle of the room, caught in a heated and passionate game.

Stunned, Remus and Tonks were frozen as they stared back.

"Uh…" Tonks said instinctively, searching for an explanation.

"Um…" Remus made the same noise.

Silvia looked rather awkward as her eyes immediately turned to a corner on the other side of the room, seeming fixated upon it as if she'd spotted something very fascinating.

Completely uncaring, Sirius continued to stare at them, boring into them with his piercing gaze. A wide smirk appeared on his face and he seemed very amused. "Well this is awkward," he pointed out rather obviously.

Tonks, like Remus, had quickly turned a marvelous shade of red, her cheeks burning scarlet as she stared back. It was very awkward indeed. She'd just been walked in on and it felt more like something a teenage girl should be worried about, not a grown woman. Tonks thought she'd long gotten past the days when she had to worry about being caught in an intimate affair.

"Good to see you, Padfoot," said Remus finally, regaining himself.

Carefully, Tonks had gotten off of Remus and was now sitting beside him, leaning back on her elbows as she glared at her intrusive cousin. "Yes," she retorted. "Very good indeed. You have such _impeccable_ timing, don't you?"

"I _do_ try to barge in at the right moments," Sirius smiled.

Silvia continued to stare at the corner. Remus now noticed that there was a letter gripped tightly in her hand. He wondered if that was the reason why she and Sirius had ran back to them so unexpectedly—they had to be running, they looked out of breath.

"Is something up?" Remus asked.

"Yeah," Sirius replied. "Silv said she's got good news from Kingsley. I don't know what exactly but it's in the letter," he said, walking into the cottage with Silvia.

"Sorry," Silvia whispered to them apologetically as she handed them the letter. "Here, read this and you'll know what happened last night during the full moon."

"What happened?" Sirius asked as Tonks took the letter and read it over.

"There has been progress with the Bryce Murder Investigation that Kingsley's in charge of," Silvia began. "Remus is no longer, in any way, a suspect. They'd found that the Shrieking Shack was not the first scene of the crime. Seeing that it was a full moon the night before, and Tonks was there watching, Remus couldn't have brought Frank Bryce's body from a different location to there. That erases all claims of Remus being a suspect."

"That's wonderful!" Sirius exclaimed.

Remus smiled and continued reading the letter over Tonks' shoulder.

"How'd the stupid Ministry come to this brilliant realization?" Sirius asked.

"Lexi," said Tonks, looking up from the letter.

"What?"

"What I'm wondering is what was George doing there with her," said Remus, thinking. He looked at Sirius—his best friend had long noticed the close connection Alexis had with George Weasley. Sirius however, was busy thinking about something else.

"Lexi?" Sirius asked.

"The letter said that Lexi and George had been to the Shrieking Shack last night. They encountered a bunch of Red Caps, treaded upon a trail of blood, and after some investigations by the Auror Department, came to realize that the Shrieking Shack wasn't the initial scene of Frank Bryce's death." Tonks' eyes turned distant as she reread the letter over and over again. Remus knew that Tonks was surprised by her cousin's help although it shouldn't be a surprise. Cousins were supposed to help each other.

Sirius, although often obnoxious and silly, was still a clever man and had immediately figured out what his other beloved cousin was doing at the Shrieking Shack. He however, decided to ask Tonks that question, wondering if she knew the reason too.

"What was Lexi doing at the Shrieking Shack?" he asked.

Silvia casted Sirius a knowing look and said nothing.

Remus too remained quiet, watching Tonks who was staring at a fixed point on the parchment. He knew she'd already finished reading. She was simply deep in thought.

"Lexi must've come looking for us. She didn't know we chose this location and thought that the Shack would be the most likely place," said Tonks.

"Exactly," Sirius smiled. For once in his life, Remus finally saw Sirius in a new light. He looked and sounded his age as the caring older cousin, older brother of Tonks. "Yes, you and Lexi are angry at each other, but you still care for each other. She's trying to help you and look, she is of great help."

Tonks nodded, looking at her hands now.

He looked at her ardently and Remus took her hand in his. Tenderly, he tightened his hold around her hand for a moment. "Talk to her," he said.

When her eyes met his, he saw a softer look in those pools of emerald green. "I will."


	16. Careful Who You Trust

**Author's Note:**

I've realized that lately my chapters are very long and working ahead, I realized my future chapters are also very, very...very long. Um, I hope you (beloved readers) don't mind. If it gets too much, feel free to leave me a comment and I'll try to cut it down. Anyways, thank you for reading and reviewing and supporting. I hope you enjoy this chapter xD

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><p><strong>Chapter 16 – Careful Who You Trust<strong>

With the passing of September's full moon, Tonks felt one burden lifted off her shoulders. She would have almost another month until the October Blood Moon becomes a worry to her, and she planned to make the most out of that month as possible. In an attempt to try to talk and sort things out with her stubborn cousin Alexis, Tonks had sent numerous memos folded in various shapes of paper airplanes to her. Still, there was no reply. Without much to do at work, she'd sent many owls to Remus who was busy searching for a new job. There was no reply from his end either. She wondered where he was and what he was doing.

During the late evening of her work, Tonks was sitting at her desk, her eyes staring at the second hand on her clock, begging it to tick faster so that she could finally leave the mundane office. The Auror Department had found a new, more hectic but structured normality at last, however like the one before that, it still did not suit Tonks to any level. She didn't enjoy the endless paperwork that outweighed the field work she loved so much.

Still recuperating from the meeting with Rufus Scrimgeour, her Department Head minutes ago, Tonks was trying hard to focus on her case involving Barty Crouch Jr. Focus was hard to come by when there were only minutes left until the end of the day. Nevertheless, she felt terrible after having to stand in Scrimgeour's depressing and overly-organized office as he scolded her and Silvia for having no leads and no improvements at all, whatsoever, on their case. Tonks had never seen a lion growl in person but Scrimgeour came close.

Weary, she dropped her head on her desk, creating a dull thud as her forehead smacked against her set of blank parchments in front of her.

"Bloody hell. Tick faster!" she moaned.

Lying there, Tonks could hear the shuffling of feet and fast, rapid footsteps in short and brisk strides coming her way. She didn't bother to look up but she could hear a conversation forming right outside her cubicle. It was between Proudfoot, a fellow auror whom had always been friendly to her, and his good friend Ludovic Bagman, a man who was a child at heart and what Tonks considered a joke of a Department Head. Bagman was a typical wanker in Tonks' eyes with blonde hair, blue eyes; an ego bigger than himself, and an unyielding arrogance in the fact that he'd once been a popular Quidditch Player for the Wimbourne Wasps. Tonks always thought the Wasps were terrible anyways.

"…it's unbelievable!" she heard Bagman say. "The entire school was in an uproar. The adults were too! It has never happened before in history!"

That drew her attention. At first, Tonks expected Proudfoot and his friend to discuss some boring legislation recently passed over or something Quidditch related. When she heard them talking about a school, she wondered if it was Hogwarts. Interested, Tonks propped her head up and discreetly eavesdropped for a moment while pretending that she was busy at work. She picked up a bent feather quill and scribbled _Remus Lupin_ repeatedly on her paper while listening to them.

"What happened?" Proudfoot asked. "There are four?"

"Yes!" Bagman cried in excitement. "There are four! Dumbledore's having a meeting with them at this very moment. I just had to tell you this because obviously if I start talking to Crouch, he'd just call me a child and walk away."

Her quill stopped right at the end of the _n_ in Remus' last name. Tonks flipped her paper over so that no one would see her silly repetition of her lover's name and stood up. She gradually joined in on Bagman and Proudfoot's conversation. It was easily done since all she really had to do was ask them why Ludovic Bagman was jumping up and down in front of her cubicle.

"Mr. Bagman, what did you say happened at Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Call me Ludo," he smiled and warmly shook her hand, his eyes lingering on her pretty and pale heart-shaped face for a moment before he spoke again, seeming cooler and more reserved now. "As you know, the champions for the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts were chosen tonight."

It was only the beginning of October; the beginning of the school year, and already an event of such a grand scale was taking place. "Yes," said Tonks. "I've heard," she told him, having known from the letters that Harry often sent home.

"Three champions were to be chosen." Bagman's voice was quickly raising now, his excitement returning in full blast. "Viktor Krum from Durmstrang, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons, and Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts…"

"What's so surprising about that?" Tonks asked flatly, unable to help herself.

"Ah yes, what no one expected was that there be a fourth champion."

"A fourth _Triwizard_ Champion?" Tonks asked. Well that's just a complete contradiction to the name itself, Tonks thought with a raised eyebrow.

"A fourth champion," Bagman grinned and nodded. "And who better? It's Mr. Harry Potter himself! The-boy-who-lived," Bagman marveled, shaking his head. He'd continued on into a rampage of envy and predictions for the tournament while Tonks drew back in shock.

Harry's name rising from the goblet and becoming the fourth champion, surely Bagman wasn't lying. If he was telling the truth, then it was not good. It appears that problems only come one after another and just when Tonks thought her load was lightened, another problem surfaces. Harry was in danger of getting murdered by an insane game made by equally mad warlocks.

"Ludo," Tonks called, turning back to him and attempting something completely out of her own spontaneity. "Do you know what the tournament will consist of?"

"You mean the three tasks?" he asked as Proudfoot left and returned to his cubicle to the watching eyes of Scrimgeour through his office window. Tonks didn't care and continued to question Bagman, hoping for information.

"Yes."

"Well…I don't know if I can tell you," said Bagman contemplatively. "But you're close to Harry, that bit I know…maybe it will help Harry Potter, god knows he's too humble to ask for any help. He was absolutely terrified when they called his name; the expression on his face…"

"Mr. Bagman," Tonks called.

"Oh yes," he laughed, returning to the topic of their conversation.

"Can you help him in any way?"

"I can't straightforwardly tell you," he mumbled, scratching his head in thought. "Perhaps…ah," he snapped his fingers and smiled. "The first task involves getting past a dangerous creature. He should stock up on his spells and hexes."

"Thank you," she said just as the clock struck nine. Tonks bade her goodbye to Mr. Bagman and quickly grabbed her bag and jacket and wand lying at her desk. She rushed out of her cubicle, heading towards the lift at full speed. When she spotted Silvia, Tonks immediately grabbed the Spanish woman's collar and pulled her along with her, surprising Silvia and nearly causing her to break Tonks' wrist because of _constant vigilance_.

"Tonks, what's going on?" she asked as Tonks pushed Silvia and herself into a lift.

She was rapidly pressing the button for the lift to close its wrought iron grills and move. Catching her breath, Tonks only noticed Marrick walking out of another lift, heading towards the direction of her cubicle, seeming to be looking for her. She ignored it and made a note to speak to him later. Harry's involvement with the tournament was a more pressing matter.

"No time to explain," said Tonks. "Come to my place."

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><p>Barging into her own flat, Tonks initially thought of nothing else but to tell the others of what she'd heard about Harry's name rising from the Goblet of Fire and his becoming of the fourth champion. Her urgency to tell them was put to a sudden halt, as if she'd run straight into a brick wall, when she spotted Remus' bright and smiling face sitting behind the kitchen counter, waiting for her and smiling. He had something he wanted to tell her too, something that spelled out good news and that he was eager to spill.<p>

Sirius had been home already and was poking at the telephone that sat in their kitchen, a look of bemusement on his face. He mumbled something to Silvia but she seemed to have not heard him. Remus shook his head and returned his attention to Tonks. Everyone was so at ease in their normality that Tonks felt uncomfortable shaking things up for them. She was on the brink of pushing the news back until tomorrow morning at least, but Silvia had spoken up before Tonks could go hide herself in her own messy but homely room.

"Tonks, what was so urgent?" Silvia asked with a serious look on her face.

"Well hello to you too Silvia," said Sirius in a dramatic voice.

She threw one brief warning glance at him and surprisingly, the Spanish auror had silenced Sirius Black. He sat down and kept quiet while Silvia continued to speak to Tonks. "What was so pressing that you literally strangled me to your house?"

Tonks bit her lips and decided to tell anyways. She casted a sideways glance at Remus, seeing that he too wanted to hear what she had to say more. His hand moved down to his trousers and he stuck it in his pocket for a moment, seeming to be placing it over something.

"Nymphadora?" he said, waiting for her to speak.

Her sudden silence was broken. "Oh yes, sorry," she said, regaining her thoughts. "We have bad news. Very bad news," Tonks began. "Harry is the fourth Triwizard Champion." Blunt and straightforward as always, Tonks had expected the look of utter surprise on all their faces.

"What?" Sirius screamed. "Harry as in Harry James Potter?" he asked, his booming voice growing in volume. "What in Merlin's name did he do now?"

"I don't think it was his fault, Sirius," Remus said, trying to calm his friend down.

"Tonks, elaborate," said Silvia, her serious look turning solemn and worrying.

Repeating everything that Ludo Bagman had told her, Tonks ended up telling Remus, Sirius, and Silvia about the champions' selection that night at Hogwarts. Viktor Krum, the famous seeker for Bulgaria's national Quidditch team was Durmstrang's champion. Fleur Delacour, a beautiful young woman who according to Bagman had to be part Veela, was champion for Beauxbatons. The Hogwarts champion was a boy named Cedric Diggory, a student from Hufflepuff whom Tonks had remembered meeting several times back in school. Harry's name had risen at the end, surprising even Albus Dumbledore, and by the powerful magical contract that bounded the goblet; he was forced to compete as the fourth champion.

By the time Tonks had finished telling them everything she knew including the clue Bagman gave her about the first task involving dueling dangerous creatures, the look on everyone's faces had changed entirely. Sirius' jaw must have dropped an entire foot, his eyes bulging and he looked absolutely mad. Remus was massaging his head, thinking hard about something and the premature lines on his forehead deepened as he worried for Harry. Silvia was pacing back and forth, pensive, no doubt trying to think of a way to help him.

"Why hasn't Harry written to any of us about it?" Sirius asked in a solemn voice.

"This is Harry," Silvia answered. "He probably doesn't want any of us to worry."

"What I'm wondering is who entered Harry's name into the goblet," Remus spoke up. All eyes turned to him and he proceeded to explain his thoughts. "Dumbledore would never let Harry take part in such a dangerous event. There were also safety precautions taken by the Ministry at the reenactment of this tournament. They drew an age line preventing anyone younger than seventeen from competing. Harry's only fourteen so the question is: who entered his name?"

"Who all could get around Hogwarts, right under Dumbledore's nose?" Tonks wondered.

"Not many can," said Silvia.

"There is one person," said Sirius, looking up with a familiar hatred in his eyes.

"If you're saying it is Snape…" Remus began.

"It has to be! Who else?" Sirius retorted.

"Why would Snape put Harry's name in the goblet?" Tonks asked. "What have he got to gain? It's completely unreasonable."

"Snape hates Harry as much as he hated James. It's not something below him," Sirius spat. "And besides…in case you all do not know, Severus Snape had once been a Death Eater. My belief is that no one, _no one_ stops being a Death Eater."

"It couldn't have been Snape. Dumbledore trusts Snape," said Remus.

"Whose side are you on, Moony?" Sirius groaned.

"Hang on," Silvia said suddenly, having been thinking most of the time. "Death Eater…it may not be Snape…"

"Really? You're going to defend him too?" Sirius asked dryly.

Like Tonks always knew, Silvia was the only one who could match Sirius head to head without hesitation or backing down. She stood up; her eyes fixated on him, and spoke without so much as a nervous break in her words. "I say that it may not be Snape because he's not the only Death Eater, or ex-Death Eater at the school, _Sirius_! Tonks said that Durmstrang has a champion competing which means their Headmaster must be there as well. Durmstrang's Headmaster is none other than Igor Karkaroff, a convicted Death Eater allowed free by the Ministry's own idiocy. It could have been Karkaroff."

"Of course," said Tonks, realization dawning upon her. Remus seemed to have reached the same idea and he met her eyes. A strange kind of understanding formed between them as if they were speaking and communicating without words or gestures.

"There was a reason as to why Dumbledore requested Mad-Eye Moody of all people to fill in the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts this year," Remus said.

"What? To make sure Harry doesn't get murdered?" Sirius asked dryly.

"Well…yes, exactly," Remus replied, having grown used to Sirius' rash and fiery nature whenever something dangerous draws near his loved ones. "Dumbledore wanted Moody there to watch Karkaroff. It could have been Karkaroff who entered Harry's name."

"How would he have done it though?" Tonks asked. "This is Hogwarts we're talking about. Teachers are everywhere and Ministry officials are there too. Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch…"

"Wait, Tonks, Crouch Sr. is there?" Sirius asked.

"Yes. He's in charge of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"I don't care what he's in charge of. He could be Head of the Department of Elfish Needs for all I care," Sirius retorted. "But I have a bad feeling about Crouch…a very bad feeling."

"We have to talk to Harry at once then," Remus said.

The closest Hogsmeade weekend was a week from then. During that time, the only means of communication they had with Harry was through owl post and the floo network which hopefully Dumbledore would allow him to use. Tonks could clearly see that Sirius was troubled and even Silvia. Remus was worried but he was busy thinking about something else, treading upon a conspiracy theory just like Sirius was proposing.

Late into the night, Tonks stepped out of her steaming bathroom, her hair dried and mousy brown again while she wore a simple set of pajamas consisting of bright, neon pink shorts and a turquoise blue t-shirt with a yellow duck on the front. When she entered the living room, she wasn't surprised to see Remus and Silvia still there. Silvia was speaking quietly with Sirius about something while Remus hid himself behind a book. Their eyes looked towards her and small smiles appeared on their faces. Had they not been worried about Harry's involvement with the Triwizard Tournament, they'd be rolling over laughing.

"Nymphadora," Remus called, setting down his book which Tonks noticed had been upside-down, and stood up. His jacket was taken off long ago, placed upon the arm of the sofa while he wore a shabby light blue collar shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Can we talk for a moment?" he asked politely and upon her nod, led her out to her balcony.

"You worried about Harry?" Tonks asked as she closed the glass door behind them.

"Yes," he replied. "And Sirius…was I obvious?"

"Well you were holding your book upside-down," said Tonks, attempting to draw a small laugh out of him. She succeeded and was smiling herself. "You're usually better at pretending, Moony," she teased him gently.

Remus chuckled, his smile bright under the crescent moon. "I uh…I haven't gotten a chance to tell you of my good news…amidst all that chaos."

"What is it?" Tonks asked. She took his hand, feeling guilty she'd ruined his happiness.

"I was searching around in Diagon Alley today and found myself a job as a critic, a reviewer at Flourish and Blotts." Tonks grinned. "It's not a high-paying job," Remus continued. "But it's a job nonetheless…and furthermore, it's something I enjoy."

"Remus, that's brilliant!" she said, truly happy for him. "It's something you love to do. Basically, all you do is read books and write about what you think of them, correct?"

"Yes," he nodded, smiling now. "And it goes to the Daily Prophet but the reviews are strictly from and promoting Flourish and Blotts, so I may remain anonymous."

"I'll be sure to actually look at the Daily Prophet from now on," said Tonks. "I'll read every one of your reviews," she promised.

Remus laughed again, a soft, hearty laugh that reverberated through the thin, calm, mid-autumn air. "I-uh…um…I also bought something today…for you," he said shyly. I was happy and I found this so…"

He reached into his pocket, the same one Tonks saw him place a hand over that day, and pulled out a small silver box the size of his palm. Remus' long and slender fingers lifted the seal and opened the box with gentle care. Tonks had always loved how gentle Remus always was with everything. He lifted the lid and revealed to her a beautiful necklace, made of sterling silver, bearing two intertwined hearts as its face. It was absolutely stunning and the lovely necklace glistened under the moonlight.

"Remus you didn't have to," she said, smiling at him, touched. "There're no special occasions…" she continued.

"Does a man need an excuse to spoil his lover?" Remus asked, smiling as he picked the necklace up out of the box. "Unlike other women, you don't get to be spoiled as often when you're with me. I finally get a chance to buy something for you. Please accept it," he said softly.

Smiling like a love-struck fool, Tonks nodded. She turned around, lifted her hair as Remus gently placed the necklace around her neck and fastened it from behind. The face of the two hearts gleamed under the warm moonlight, somehow lighting up Tonks' brilliant smile even more. She wore it perfectly and turned around to hug Remus tightly, kissing him gently. She'd never told him that he was already spoiling her with so much attention—no other women was given as much love and attention as her—that was what Tonks felt.

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><p>A week came and went and Tonks had tried again and again to talk to her cousin Alexis, but still no reply. Alexis hadn't been home any time Tonks was. When they saw each other at the Ministry, both were too busy to even stop for a small conversation. Despite working on the same case, Alexis always stayed down in the Department of Mysteries while Tonks stayed in the Auror Office. There were often memos folded in badly shaped paper airplanes and letters from owls sitting on Tonks' desk and windowsill but having been forcibly drowned in her work by the constant pushing of Rufus Scrimgeour, Tonks had no time to even glance at them.<p>

She hadn't been given a break until Hogsmeade Weekend came where Tonks was forced to detach herself from work in order to speak to Harry along with Sirius, Silvia, and Remus. In the early afternoon of a colorful and scented autumn, Remus and Tonks were strolling in the streets of Hogsmeade, waiting until late afternoon where they were to meet with Harry, Sirius, and Silvia at the Three Broomsticks Inn.

The sun was up in the early hours of the afternoon, shining like a brilliant, blinding light bulb in the sky. The trees all around them had turned into various warm colors—golden, orange, brown, and many shades more. Coming closer to winter, the weather had gotten significantly colder. Remus was now wearing a thicker shabby blazer while Tonks adorned her long, khaki auror robes that resembled too much of a trench coat. Walking down the street, they could smell the sweet scent of butterbeer traveling through the air, mingling with the intoxicating aroma of firewhiskey. Various fragrances of candy drifted upwards when they passed by Honeydukes' Sweet Shop and their senses were driven mad with the addition of many different kinds of perfumes and colognes when they passed by the clothing stores.

"How do you think Sirius is feeling right now?" Tonks asked, wondering if Remus knew. Sirius had looked so genuinely worried about Harry that he hadn't acted his usual, obnoxious and overbearing self the entire week.

"Like any father, godfather or not, he must be worried sick," Remus replied, walking slowly down the street while reveling in the feeling of holding onto Tonks' hand as they walked. "Sirius really cares about Harry and he knows all the dangers of this tournament. Given the situation they're in—a Death Eater roaming around Hogwarts and Harry having a knack for trouble—Sirius can't help but worry. I mean, other fathers would be proud their son made it as a champion but there should only be three champions. A fourth champion sounds kind of…troubling…"

"I thought you said if Dumbledore trusts Snape, then you would too. How come you're worried about his ex-Death Eater status?" Tonks asked.

"I was talking about Karkaroff," said Remus. "He'd betrayed the entire lot of them when he managed to gain his freedom—he gave up their names in trade. Karkaroff probably fears that they'll find him and kill him if they ever got the chance. Being a step ahead, if he does something useful to Voldemort, they can't hurt him."

"And that something useful would be hurting Harry," Tonks finished.

"Exactly. That's why Harry's in danger. Sure, Moody is there, but Moody is still only one man. And don't forget, Barty Crouch Jr. is still out on the loose. Though he'd disappeared from the Ministry's eyes, there's still a chance that he could hurt Harry if he really wanted to." Remus sighed and looking at him, Tonks could read his thoughts like a book.

"If Sirius could hide for so long because he was an unregistered animagus…then Crouch Jr. might be able to as well," Tonks said in a low voice.

"Unfortunately yes," Remus replied.

The quiet couple walked for a little further down the road, glancing in at the many colorful shop windows while discussing a dreary and troublesome topic. Surprise crept up on them and surfaced when they spotted Mad-Eye Moody clonking out of the Hogs' Head Inn, grumbling about something. Feeling that a chat with her old mentor was quite necessary, Tonks made haste to catch up with him. Only when she came near did she realize that Moody was being followed. At first she wondered why he didn't even seem to notice but then she decided to put off talking with him for another time and spoke with his follower instead.

One of the Weasley Twins whom had been discreetly following Moody at a fair distance was slowly trying to back out of Tonks' view. Unsure of which twin the red-headed young man was, Tonks decided to guess at random.

"George!" she called in a loud voice.

There was a dull thud heard somewhere beside her and Tonks noticed this. Remus was immediately beside her, whispering in her ear the real identity of the twin, having been able to tell them apart after several months of teaching them.

"That's Fred, Nymphadora."

"Fred Weasley! Get back here!" Tonks said in a stern voice.

With a nervous smile, Fred walked over to her. "Hello Tonks, hello Professor Lupin."

"What are you doing here?" Tonks asked, her eyes glancing sideways at a particular spot on the ground with a small streak seeming like a scrape of the shoe.

"It's Hogsmeade weekend," Fred replied.

"Where's George?" Tonks continued to ask while Remus looked around.

"We don't do _everything_ together you know," Fred retorted dryly.

Tonks rolled her eyes. Having always been quite short on patience, she decided to unmask the other twin immediately. She reached for her wand and within the blink of an eye, casted a trip jinx on the peculiar spot on the ground. Suddenly, another thud, a louder one that time, sounded and someone invisible fell in front of her.

She sighed. "Take it off."

"Ouch! Dammit George, you fell on my foot," Tonks heard her cousin's voice sound.

"Alexis?" said Remus in complete surprise.

Fred seemed to be playing along. "Oh dear, Lexi, George, what are you two doing here?"

"Fred! Fancy seeing you here!" George smiled, helping Alexis up to her feet while rubbing his sore knee with a familiar although dented and slightly rusting necklace—the Ghost Necklace—in his hand. "What have you been up to?" he asked innocently.

"Alexis, up to something?" Remus asked with a kind smile, careful not to instigate her.

"Yeah, proving my point," Alexis replied arrogantly, her Black family aristocratic hauteur surfacing. "What about you Remus?"

"Why were you following Mad-Eye?" Tonks asked, taking a step towards her cousin.

"Have you talked to Marrick lately?" Alexis asked in response.

"No, now answer my question."

"Or, have you read any of your memos?"

"Alexis," Tonks growled.

"You haven't talked to him or read the memos…hmm…well then this would _all_ be very surprising," she smirked, seeming somewhat amused. "I asked Marrick to talk to you."

Tonks ignored her cousin and pressed on with her question. "What were you doing?"

"I told you," Alexis replied, somewhat glaring at Tonks. "I was proving my point."

Standing in the middle of the girls, Remus felt very awkward, incredibly awkward indeed. He felt like _he_ was the one being glared at and wished he had the careless innocence that the Weasley Twins had as they stood there and watched although with slightly worried faces.

"And what point would that be?"

"That Mad-Eye Moody is not a trustworthy man. You need to be careful of who you put your trust in, _cousin_," she hissed.

"Yes, I shouldn't have trusted someone so close," Tonks retorted, glaring at Alexis.

"Exactly. How can you trust a man who practices the Imperius Curse on his own students and meets with hooded figures in the shady corner of the Hog's Head Inn?"

"You're not going off on that again," Tonks huffed, rolling her eyes.

"You have to listen to reason. Your mentor met with a questionable man and discussed a plot at Hogwarts this year involving Harry Potter. He could have been the one who entered Harry's name into the goblet."

Listening, Remus realized that Alexis must have been informed either by Fred and George or some other source from the Ministry about Harry's selection as the fourth Triwizard Champion. She was well-informed and had even taken action to some of her thoughts, the same kind of thing Remus felt that they should be doing after meeting with Harry.

"Mad-Eye?" Tonks scoffed. "Why would _he_ enter Harry's name into the goblet when Dumbledore brought him there to protect Harry?"

"You can't be so sure."

"Are you going to keep telling me that I can't trust my own mentor?" Tonks asked.

"Yes, until you get that stick out of your stubborn arse and admit that he cannot be trusted," Alexis replied, equally as stubborn as Tonks.

"Well then you can disappear again from in front of my face," Tonks snapped, on the verge of anger now. "And don't follow Mad-Eye again."

"Keep being an idiot then," Alexis huffed, walking away with Fred and George quickly following at her side, grumbling about something that involved the Ghost necklace not working as well as it used to. As they went, Remus wondered what exactly they'd overheard in the Hog's Head Inn and who Mad-Eye could have been meeting with. While their claims were getting stranger, Remus wondered if they were true or not.

"Alexis was wise in the fact that she's doing something about her claims," Remus said softly, carefully to Tonks.

"You're right," Tonks sighed. She was deep in thought.

"And you know your cousin wouldn't lie about something like this."

"No, she wouldn't," Tonks replied, troubled.

Seeing that if he was careful, Tonks wouldn't go off at Remus for somewhat agreeing with Alexis' thoughts. He carefully spoke more to her about accepting at least _some_ of Alexis' claims. "That person Lexi said Moody was meeting with, he could be questionable."

"Who would Mad-Eye be meeting with though? Barty Crouch Jr.? Ian Rosier?" Tonks asked. "Why though? He hates both of them-no…he _detests_ both of them."

For a moment, Remus was deep in thought, thinking about the sudden mention of names. "Have you or Silvia heard anything about Ian Rosier lately?"

"Nothing at all," she answered. "He'd just been up to usual, boring every day activities, parties, meetings with old friends."

"Perhaps you should go into your plan of following him. I just can't fight off this feeling that something's up. Like Lexi who was following Moody through his everyday activities and spotted something she found peculiar, you could follow Rosier and find something peculiar."

"Brilliant Remus," said Tonks who was beginning to truly consider the idea. "During his day to day activities, he'd have to slip up somewhere."

"And he'd be more likely to slip up now that he thinks the Ministry is no longer onto him. Neither you nor Silvia have done much investigating on him lately."

"Exactly," Tonks beamed. "Remus you're brilliant!" she exclaimed, hugging him and jumping in excitement. She considered it an improvement in her case—it was small but somewhat of an improvement nonetheless.

* * *

><p>When Remus and Tonks arrived at the Three Broomsticks, they met with Sirius and Silvia at the door. Both were busy bickering about something, again. Like always, Silvia always seem to win whatever argument they were in and Sirius huffed but humbly admitted defeat. He also looked visibly in better of a mood than he did that morning and somehow, Remus felt that Silvia had cheered Sirius up, even with their constant, playful bickering.<p>

Inside the crowded restaurant, they spotted Harry sitting solemnly in the far corner, looking very lonely and in need of support right then. Immediately, they all made their way over through the various crowds of the bar and sat down in front of the boy, ordering two glasses of butterbeer and two of firewhiskey as they did so. Seeing that Harry was completely alone, they were surprised that neither Ron nor Hermione was with him. Harry looked like there had been a lot on his mind and the dark circles below his eyes showed he hadn't been able to sleep. Tonks had noticed that he was particularly skinnier as well and suddenly had an urge to feed him, a trait that reminded her of her mother and of Molly Weasley.

"You hungry Harry?" Tonks asked.

He shook his head but didn't speak.

"Where are Ron and Hermione?" Sirius asked.

"Hermione is busy in the library and Ron…he's angry at me because I'm the fourth champion," Harry replied bitterly.

"He knew that you didn't enter your name in that goblet, right?" Silvia asked.

"I tried to tell him but I don't think he believes me."

Remus bit his lips. "It'll be alright Harry," he said comfortingly, relating to how lonesome the poor boy must be feeling. "It'll pass. Fights and disagreements are a part of all relationships," he comforted. "Have you tried talking calmly with him?" Remus continued to ask, knowing that like James, Harry can sometimes be quite bull-headed.

"I…I try to but every time I see him, he just angers me," Harry explained.

"Harry, listen," Sirius said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder, his eyes holding a fatherly gaze that made Harry take a second glance at them. They were warm and fatherly, holding Harry's attention with ease. "Remus and I had many fights and disagreements like that in our schooldays. We even stopped talking to each other for almost a whole month. But in the end, it all resolves itself. There's not much you can do. Just don't worry about that for now and let it solve itself…. Now, we have more pressing matters to discuss. How is it that your name came out of the Goblet of Fire, a powerful magical artifact, and who put your name in there?"

"I-I don't know who put my name in that goblet," Harry said. "No one seems to know."

"Who do you think it _could_ be?" Silvia asked, used to drawing answers through methods of interrogation as an auror. Tonks found the question familiar as she listened and almost smirked when she realized Silvia was asking Harry the same question she often asked suspects.

"No one in particular," Harry replied. "Everyone just seems troubled and pissed off that my name was drawn."

"Have you talked to Moody at all?" Remus asked. "Maybe he would have a theory as to who'd put your name into the Goblet of Fire," he added quickly less Tonks grew angry at him for sounding like he too suspected Moody like Alexis was.

"Moody…he said something like whoever did it would have to be a very powerful witch or wizard. Only a powerful Confundus Charm could have hoodwinked it."

"An exceptionally powerful one at that," Sirius replied, contemplative.

"What about Crouch?" Tonks asked suddenly. She turned to Silvia. "I'm not willing to rule out the factor that Crouch Jr. could be involved in this somehow. He was a big support of You-Know-Who and Crouch Sr. was acting weird the last time I talked to him." She turned back to Harry, meeting his shockingly green eyes with her own. "Did Barty Crouch Sr. say anything?"

"No," Harry replied. "Hang on, Mr. Crouch's son? Who's he?"

"We can't really tell you Harry," said Tonks. "Not yet," she added, leaning back and turning to Remus, hoping he could explain to the boy.

"There may be a plot going on, a plot to harm you, Harry," Remus explained, taking what Alexis had said into consideration.

"But who?" Harry asked.

"We don't know," Silvia replied, her eyes dark and contemplative.

"Harry," Sirius called. "You have to be careful around the castle. Look Harry…the Death Eaters at the World Cup, your name rising from that goblet; these are not just coincidences. Hogwarts isn't safe anymore."

"What are you saying?" Harry asked, growing extremely worried and scared by Sirius' words. Silvia, Remus, and Tonks however, couldn't comfort him anymore for they needed to warn him and tell him at least some of the truth.

"I'm saying…the devils are inside the walls. Igor Karkaroff…he was a Death Eater and no one, _no one_ stops being a Death Eater. Then there's Barty Crouch, the man we've been talking about—heart of stone, put his own son in Azkaban."

"So-so you're saying that Karkaroff or Crouch could be trying to kill me?" Harry asked.

"Not exactly," Remus cut in. "We're just telling you to be careful. Be careful of who you trust. _Someone_ put your name in that goblet, right under Dumbledore's nose. If they're working for Voldemort—which lately is very plausible given what happened at the World Cup—this could be a very good chance to make your death look like an accident."

For the rest of their meeting, Remus, Tonks, Sirius, and Silvia continued to tell Harry of the precautions he must take and more about both the history of Barty Crouch Jr. and Igor Karkaroff. Tonks was surprised to know of all the things that both Remus and Sirius had known, information confidential to the Ministry of Magic alone were at their disposal. She wondered what the organization they'd join during the last war had been like and how they knew so much.

* * *

><p>Early morning in London and although the many scents of autumn drifted through the air, a thick layer of fog served to blind the eyes, leaving people to travel by their sense of smell alone. The fog was so thick that it was hard to see five feet away from where one stood and so dense that it was nearly tangible. There was a strange smell of musk mixed in the air and on the grey clouds that blended the sky and the land, there was no horizon. It seemed a dreary day.<p>

On the streets, Silvia was walking quickly out of an alley, joining the group of city goers and trying to act as if she was like one of them, normal with a mundane office job, and no magical abilities whatsoever. Following this crowd, the Spanish beauty made her way further down a familiar street she often walked on. Being so caught up in work, for a moment she'd forgotten why she was on that street. Her pace slowed down and she wondered as she walked. Her thick and beautiful dark brown hair framed her darkly beautiful face that was twisted up in thought. It completely escaped her why she was there.

Suddenly, a dull knock on the large window beside her caught her attention. Silvia turned around to see Sirius' face pressed up against the window, contorted in a weird and funny look. He then pulled back, grinning as he waved to her. She smiled. She finally remembered why she was there—she'd wanted to cheer Sirius up but it looked like he was cheering her up instead.

Turning back several steps, Silvia entered the small café where Sirius worked. He greeted her cordially like a proper waiter inside and took her to her table, the one she'd always sit at with perfect view of the café and the sidewalk outside. However, today her outside view was covered in a thick, looming fog and so Silvia was left with the sight of a goofy Sirius Black.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked cheerfully. "I saw you on the street and you looked completely lost!"

"I _was_ completely lost for a minute," Silvia chucked. Sirius seemed happy to see her.

"Hmm, not something I'd expect of you," he mumbled. Sirius then leaned on her table, talking to her with his deep, haunted grey eyes gazing into her warm, chocolaty ones. "So, what can I help you with today? Is something troubling you?"

"No," she smiled. "Why can't it be me trying to cheer _you_ up for once?"

"Why do I need cheering up?"

"Don't think that I can't see it," Silvia said. "I can see you worrying about Tonks, Lexi, Remus, and Harry all the time. What's on _your_ mind, Sirius Black?"

He sighed and his look softened. He could never hide anything from her and when she came so willingly in hopes of comforting him, he couldn't deny her. It was hard to find a friend in someone and after losing everything and having to gain it all back bit by bit, Sirius knew not to take that for granted.

"I confess," he began. "I have been extremely vexed lately. "My two cousins are still at odds with each other…and it's a silent battle so that's even worse. My godson is entered in a tournament he's bound to get hurt in and there's nothing I can do about it. And the October Blood Moon is nearing and my werewolf best friend is secretly, extremely horrified."

"What's so bad about the Blood Moon?" Silvia questioned.

"It's difficult to explain," Sirius began. "There's something…just something about it that angers the wolf. Like…Remus' werewolf side gets provoked and he completely loses his mind. He doesn't even think and he doesn't hesitate to attack anything. I'm thinking it's the pull of the moon. When we were in school, each year, James and I would dread the Blood Moon. We were never able to tame him at all and we'd have to flee in the middle of the night and let Remus stay in the shack by himself otherwise he'd rip us to shreds."

"That bad?" Silvia asked, growing worried for Tonks who would no doubt want to accompany Remus on that moon, like any other.

"That bad," Sirius nodded.

"Mr. Black," someone called in a kind manner. "Have you started your break yet?"

Silvia and Sirius both looked up to see Sirius' portly manager, a man with beady eyes, no neck at all, and possibly seven chins, approaching them. He had a hearty smile on his face and he warmly clapped Sirius on the back as he spoke. Looking at him, Silvia knew he must be suffering from too many Confundus Charms. Sirius must have gotten very good at performing them but had forgotten that the overuse of them may cause a person to seem somewhat dazed.

"Sir Mimsy de Pumpernickel," Sirius greeted, grinning. "How is your morning so far?"

As the man answered, Sirius turned to Silvia with a brilliant, mischievous grin. He'd obviously found his own methods of cheering himself up. Silvia smiled, leaned in, and asked, "Sir Mimsy de Pumpernickel?"

Sirius shrugged. "I was bored and I've always wanted to call someone by that name. Neither James nor Remus would accept that nickname so I decided to hoodwink my boss into going by that name. I'd have to say, that name alone gives me a laugh," he whispered.

"…but that happens every morning," Sirius' boss finished. He was still smiling, seeming kind of out there, not himself, and…high. "And who's this?" he asked, looking at Silvia.

"Oh, sorry sir…" Silvia had to hold herself back from calling the kind man by that ridiculous name. "I'm Silvia…"

"Silvia!" Sirius' boss suddenly exclaimed. "Oh, Mrs. Black, sorry I haven't introduced myself," he said, shaking her hand fervently. "Are you feeling alright? Your husband had had to leave work numerous times because of your health problems. I'm so sorry. I'm glad you're feeling better now and are sitting here. Sirius is a very lucky to have such a beautiful woman like you as a wife."

"Um…thank you," Silvia replied awkwardly.

After several small conversations, Sirius' boss, Sir Mimsy de Pumpernickel left and gave them time alone. When he was out of earshot, Silvia turned to Sirius with an extremely amused smile as she crossed her arms and leaned back.

"Husband? Health problems? Wife? What in the name of Merlin did you tell him?" she asked, attempting to sound serious but failing and falling into fits of laughter midway.

Sirius shrugged. "I can't help it," he laughed.

"So that was how you got yourself excused to see me at St. Mungo's," she laughed. "But since when did I agree to be your wife?"

"Come now, please keep up this act, I need time to get away from this boring job! I can't stand muggles having to count every change they have for a cup of coffee. Please," he begged, taking her hand and getting on one knee with a pleading face.

Silvia continued to laugh. "Alright, I'll pretend with you. But please, don't ever let anyone call me Mrs. Black. It reminds me of your mum."

"No problem," Sirius replied, grinning. "Now I must get back to work for five minutes before going on my thirty-minute break. See you in five," he grinned and waltzed off, causing Silvia to go through another laughing fit. "Oh Sir Mimsy de Pumpernickel!" Sirius called.

* * *

><p>At the end of the night, much to Tonks' pleasant surprise, she found herself cozily cuddling with Remus upon her sofa in an empty flat while Sirius was out and about, rather than being drowned in work like she'd expected. They were talking softly even though there was no one in the house but them. Remus traced patters on the palm of her hands as they gazed at the changing moon together. Dark clouds rolled by in the clear night sky. Several stars were visible, one of them being the brilliant and twinkling Dog Star.<p>

"You know, the Dog Star always makes me feel like Sirius is watching us. It's creepy," said Tonks as she stroked his calloused but warm hands.

"It's just a star dear," Remus smiled, always amused by Tonks' way of thinking. "Now, tell me more about how you want to go about Rosier. When do you plan on following him and what do you plan on doing? I don't want you getting hurt," he said, returning to their conversation they'd been talking about for the past hour.

"I won't get hurt and you can join us if you'd like. Actually, it'd be quite fun with you joining us. You can see why I love going incognito so much," she grinned.

Remus thought for a moment. "Alright," he said. "But what exactly do you do?"

"I've gotten Silvia to do research on him and his habits since…she'd know him best. We'll find out where he tends to go then we'll just discreetly follow him from there. After all, we need to have him go through his day to day life without suspecting that he's being watched. Hopefully then, he'd slip up somewhere."

"What if he goes somewhere dangerous?" Remus wondered, wanting to keep her safe.

"That's the point of the research," said Tonks. "We'll get an idea of his patterns first. And besides, Silvia and I are both aurors and you're an adept duelist. We should be able to manage ourselves just fine."

"I don't know," said Remus. He'd been having such a bad feeling coursing through his body, he was starting to think that he was developing an extreme sense of paranoia and that it was driving him crazy. "I just have this strange feeling…"

"It'll be fine," she reassured him.

"Why is it you're so hell-bent on following him though?" Remus questioned.

Tonks sighed. There was something, a small factor or fragment of her thought that she hadn't told Remus. Whenever she thought about it, Tonks always felt like she was a stubborn child and was somewhat afraid to admit it to him. In logic, Tonks wanted to follow Rosier because she couldn't deny all the ominous things happening lately—they weren't simply coincidences—and she needed someone to be her explanation as to why strange things were happening. It made sense that Rosier was the most likely to be involved given his pureblood heritage and familial involvement with Death Eaters. In truth, it also gave Tonks one more reason not to suspect her crazily beloved mentor, Moody.

"You don't want to say it?" he asked when she didn't answer for a while.

"Not yet," she whispered. "Trust me Remus," said Tonks who had shifted so that she now lay on his chest, her ear pressed against it and she could hear his beating heart, ignoring all the rest of the world as she laid there.

Tonks closed her eyes and listened for a while. Remus didn't speak and neither did she. He must be thinking while she simply lay there, allowing no thoughts to trouble her as she listened to his heartbeat. Eventually, she felt as if her heartbeat was matching his own and their two hearts were beating to the same rhythm. It was a strange feeling, a happy feeling that she could not explain. She liked it so much, she could practically jump up and squeal at the sudden, unexplainable surge of happiness. But she didn't. She didn't want to pull apart from him and lose that delicate rhythm they've found together. When Remus spoke, his deep and smooth voice vibrated through his chest, sounding like a strange but soothing melody.

"How was your day?" he asked softly, his hand stroking her hair.

"Alright," she replied. "Oh, I heard a funny story from Silvia this afternoon."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Really? What about?" he asked. He was stroking her cheek tenderly with his fingertips.

"Sirius had fashioned a nickname for his confunded boss. He calls him Sir Mummy de Pimper-something…" said Tonks, struggling to remember the name.

"Sir Mimsy de Pumpernickel?" Remus asked, smirking.

"Yes! Wait, how'd you know?" she asked, giggling at the mere silliness of the name.

"Sirius came up with it in our fourth year and wanted either me or James to use it as our nickname," Remus laughed. "Fortunately, I had the right mind to refuse him."

"So you're telling me there was a small chance that Moony could have been known as Sir Mimsy de Pumpernickel?" Tonks asked, feigning terror.

"No," Remus laughed. "I was going to refuse it either way! I would never allow myself to be called that. It's so embarrassing!"

"Dear god," Tonks laughed, planting kisses on his chest. "Thank you Merlin you weren't called that. I don't know what I'd do with you!"

Remus leaned forward and looked at her with a funny look. "What if I _was_ called that?"

That caught Tonks by surprise. She looked up, showing a smile that looked too guilty as she laughed nervously. "Well…"

"Well?" Remus asked, smirking still.

"I-um-I…well…"

"Yes?" Remus continued to press.

"I'd probably tell you to put a bag over your head and never show your face to the public ever again because it's just so god damn embarrassing!" Tonks laughed and said quickly without even drawing breath.

"Nymphadora!" Remus called, laughing.

Although she was clumsy, Tonks still had very fast reflexes being an auror and jumped off of him immediately, defending herself with a pillow cushion just as Remus began to tickle her. He was laughing and complaining about how mean she was. Tonks was simply laughing. Inside her mind, she was thinking about how glad she was that Remus' self-esteem seemed to be improving. Before, in their relationship, she wouldn't even dare of joking about doing something like that to him. But now, now she could and he would laugh about it. It was apparent to her that the shy and stubborn Marauder wasn't so shy and stubborn after all—and she loved that.

* * *

><p>Replies:<p>

Hannah: Thank you! I always love writing Sirius, somehow I always imagine him as the straightforward jokester of the group. I hope you don't mind if I sometimes portray him that way. Thank you for reading! xD

RemusTonksFan: I just love writing Remus and Tonks xD I hope you don't mind if I sometimes include too much fluff, I try to cut it down as not to stray from the plot of the story but...OMG I love Remus! Thanks so much for you continuous support 3

HPfollower101: xD Thanks! For Remus' nude scenes, I was trying to think of what to write for a post-moon morning as I didn't want to continue to repeat myself, and then I realized: "well if Remus' clothes rip and fall when he's a werewolf, he can't just wake up with them magically on...can he?" thank you for the review! xD

TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish: I READ YOUR STORY! I actually read it a while ago and I really liked it! I have it saved on my favorites folder in my fanfiction links on my browser! I'm sorry, I don't usually comment but I understand, all support is appreciated. xD Thank you for your constant support, you've been so lovely, thanks xD and as for secretly willing Remus and Tonks to do it right there...well...can't say I haven't thought of it xD

SlytherinSilverStar: i accepted your request xD Oh my god I love Pottermore, especially McGonagall's back story. It's also great to know that Potter-love will never die xD And thank you for your support and review :]


	17. Incognito

**Author's Note:**

I really have nothing to say this chapter xD Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and supporting! I hope you enjoy xD RemusxTonks Forever!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17 – Incognito<strong>

London's weather quickly made a turn for the worse that colorless morning in mid-October. A thick and almost tangible fog hemmed the city in all directions. It had been that way since yesterday, if there was even a clear distinction between the break of dusk and dawn. The looming fog allowed no sunlight to penetrate through the dismal drear. It was just downright miserable weather, plunging the typical autumn morning into a dreadful state of grim ill-feelings. On the crowded sidewalk streets below, blind men and women stumbled, playing a difficult game of Blind Man's Bluff.

Her twinkling emerald green eyes watched from the window, playing spectator from behind a thin screen of glass. She stood quietly, a warm cup of aromatic tea in her hands, steaming. Tonks had noticed how strange the weather had turned. On some days, it would be clear skies and brilliant sunlight while on others, the sky would be so grey that the horizon vanished and the sky blended with the ground. It was as if England's weather could not decide on which one to give the country.

Finishing the last of her tea, Tonks turned her emerald green eyes away from the window, just in time to see Sirius open the door for Remus and Silvia to come in. Remus looked less shabby and less tired, having been many days since the last moon and he was recovering. Silvia on the other hand, looked sleep-deprived and weary, yawning every few seconds. Tonks was like her too and knew her reason exactly. They'd both been staying up late into the night, too late, to gather more information for their case—information about Ian Rosier and whatever more they can get on Barty Crouch Jr.

"Wotcher Remus," Tonks greeted."Hey Silv."

"Hello Nymphadora," Remus smiled brightly.

"Morning," Silvia said through a yawn.

"Are you sure you three can do this today? Silvia, you look completely knackered," said Sirius with worry in his tone, a surprising twist of the morning for him. Sirius usually never seemed to worry for anything other than his godson.

"I'm an auror Sirius, I always look tired," Silvia replied, exposing the harsh truth of an auror's life. Tonks had to agree—she'd been longing for a vacation to do nothing but sleep ever since she joined the Ministry.

"Sirius, you know what to do," Tonks said.

Sirius rolled his eyes and slouched like a troubled teenager. "I know," he groaned. "But why me? What if she hexes me?"

"You're the only one who can do it, Padfoot," Remus said, smirking to urge his best friend on. "After all, you were the best at getting others' attention during school."

Sirius playfully glared at Remus. "Nip it wolfy," he said and dragged himself down the hallway, into Alexis' bedroom in which her door sat ajar.

"Lexi won't hex Sirius in her sleep, will she?" Silvia asked, showing slight concern.

"I don't think so," Tonks replied as she headed over to the kitchen sink.

"So what's the plan?" Remus asked, following Tonks over to the sink as he helped her begin to wash the dishes Sirius had set out after breakfast. "Have you thought of it yet?" he asked, knowing Tonks' reckless nature. Although he doubted her often-times improvised plans, Remus was gentle and caring of her nonetheless. He stood behind her, his arms around her waist as he washed the dishes with her, all while trying to think of ideas to elaborate on her plan to assure her success—Tonks would get frustrated if she failed and he didn't want that at all.

"Since there are three of us," Tonks began, meeting Silvia's eyes as she took a seat on the kitchen counter and began leafing through their gathered information. "Things should be a lot easier than usual. We'll each take on a disguise and take turns following Rosier. Say, person A follow him at a close distance, person B make sure that person A does not mess up or stir his suspicion in any way, and person C stay at a far distance, maintaining observation over the scene and help if any troubles come along."

Remus nodded, impressed as he listened to her.

"Then we could all take turns rotating," Silvia added, nodding. Like Remus, she was thinking deeply as well.

"One problem arises though," Remus said. "Nymphadora, out of the three of us, you're the only metamorphmagus. Silv and I can't change our appearance at will."

"Right," said Tonks, scratching her head in thought. "That's why we'll take Lexi's Ghost Necklace and use that for person C to follow. As for person B…"

"Hopefully we're all adept at simple transfiguration spells. We could use that to alter our appearance," Silvia spoke up.

Remus nodded, acknowledging her input. "That's good," he said.

"How would we rotate though?" Silvia asked.

"Every fifteen or twenty minutes," Remus suggested. "Person A backs away to C's position, person B takes over keeping the close distance, and person C moves up to cover B."

"Sounds confusing, but brilliant," said Tonks, smiling. "We all understand?"

"Most likely," Silvia nodded.

"Most likely," Remus agreed.

Suddenly, during a brief silence, Tonks heard Sirius' muffled laughter and a dull thud sounding from down the hall. She looked back to see her cousin, Alexis, sleepy and disheveled, emerging from the bathroom with a toothbrush in her one hand and a pillow in her other. Alexis too had been terribly deprived of sleep and Tonks wondered why that was so.

"Should we tell Lexi of our plan?" Remus asked, knowing that Lexi was the Head of the Department of Mysteries and was involved in the Barty Crouch Jr. investigation as well.

"No," Tonks replied quickly but without explanation.

"Why'd you wake me up so early, Paddy?" Alexis moaned, setting her toothbrush down on the table and hugging her pillow as she walked past Tonks. "I don't even work today."

"I need you to do me a favor," Sirius said. "I've been trying out this new blend of coffee and I need you to taste it. Work your exquisite gourmet tongue and tell me if you like it or not."

"It's so early in the morning," Alexis said, waving sloppily to Remus and Silvia when she spotted them. She then dropped down on the sofa, pulling into fetal position and hugging her pillow tightly. "Let me sleep a little more."

"Come on," Sirius urged. "You're already dressed and brushed your teeth. Just test it."

Alexis groaned. "I'm in no mood for coffee."

"Well you will be now come on!" Sirius urged, pulling her towards the door like a child pleading for a new toy. "Come, I haven't got all day."

Alexis growled in a low voice but got up anyways and followed Sirius out the door, fortunately remembering to leave her pillow behind.

"Why does Lexi look…dead?" Remus asked, noticing her dark circles beneath her eyes that made her look almost like a raccoon.

"No idea," said Tonks who'd already left the kitchen, pulling Remus along into Alexis' room, following through with their little plan. They were to have Sirius lure Alexis out of the flat and out of her room while they seized the opportunity of her absence to—according to Tonks—_borrow_ some of her magical instruments for their little mission. Tonks opened Alexis' room and began looking inside, quickly becoming confused by her cousin's strange and completely illogical method of organization that magically changed by itself every five minutes. "We're looking for the Ghost Necklace and the locator that looks like a glass compass she has," Tonks said, beginning to search at Alexis' desk.

Silvia was walking around, carefully navigating through the obstacle course of a room Alexis had. Many items were scattered on the floor, some of them dangerous, sharp, and lethal looking, and others very delicate it seemed. Remus was searching very close to Tonks, keeping his eyes sharp for something that stood out, however nothing stood out. It seemed that as an Unspeakable, no matter how eccentric she was, Alexis still had a preference for the colors, black, grey, and its many dreary shades.

While searching, Tonks' eyes couldn't help but stare at the one moving item on Alexis' desk. It was a time turner, much different from normal ones for it was shiny, obsidian black in color and it was spinning on a steel rack, seeming like it was active and in use. Tonks stared at it for a moment, very tempted to poke it. However, when she reached forward, Remus grabbed her hand and pulled her back immediately.

"I don't think we should mess with Lexi's things while they're active," he said, his eyes briefly glancing towards the long and lethal looking metal rod with a sharp point she had lying on her overfilled bookshelf.

"Right," Tonks nodded and pulled back.

"I think I found the necklace," Silvia said. She turned back to them and held up the familiar Ghost Necklace, silver with its many ancient etchings and symbols. Tonks felt that it looked slightly different somehow, as if there were even more symbols than before engraved upon the cool metal face of it.

"Brilliant, now we need the locator," Tonks said, beginning to look through her cousin's shelf of black boxes, all labeled in miniscule handwriting. She pulled one box out and lifted the lid to see sets of documents written in her cousin's neat and boxy scrawl—research papers. Another box contained photographs, hundreds of old and moving photographs of people waving and smiling towards the camera. She'd briefly spotted a strangely familiar old and yellowing one sitting in the middle beside a faded cloth rose, but Tonks had no time to go back and look. Wanting to hurry, Tonks quickened her pace only to accidentally knock a box over.

"Bugger all!" she cursed as she bent down. Remus was right beside her, helping her, as if he was anticipating her mishap to occur sooner or later. "What's this?" she questioned once she realized the contents of the box.

"They're all time turners," Remus said, looking at them, wondering why Alexis had an entire box full of time turners, all appearing to be in working condition. There were gold ones, silver ones, and black ones. It was strange and even Tonks would have never guessed that her cousin took this many time turners from the Department of Mysteries.

"Let's keep looking," Tonks said, setting the box back into its place however not allowing the thought of the time turners to leave her mind.

* * *

><p>The scenery from the coffee shop window only served to dampen her mood even more. Fog loomed like silent ghosts over the streets, so thick that no sunlight could penetrate through its curtained veil. People could barely see three feet in front of them and were blindly scrambling through the crowded sidewalks, clinging onto railings and walls and each other for guidance. Alexis sat there and watched from inside the coffee shop, her dark brown almost black eyes reflecting a dreary scene of foreboding grey. There was no distinction between ground and sky or up and down. It was miserable weather, although it had seemed slightly better from fifteen minutes ago. At least the fog was moving now—perhaps it would clear up.<p>

As she waited for her cousin to come up with her coffee, Alexis continued to sit at the solemn table, quiet. The only amusement she'd gotten thus far was witnessing a large, portly man with a toothbrush moustache and no neck at all run straight into a brick wall having not been able to see through the fog. She only laughed softly.

"Here we are," Sirius announced, striding up to her with a single steaming cup of coffee. It was strangely colored. The coffee itself looked limp and the steam rising from it didn't hold the sweet and warming fragrance normal coffee did. "Freshly made—Sirius' own mixture."

Before she drank it, Alexis took a breath, wondering what she'd gotten herself into. She closed her eyes and took a quick sip of it, immediately cringing from the terrible, bitter and somewhat sour taste. The aftertaste wasn't as bad but it was horrible when even the aftertaste was better than the initial flavor of the coffee.

"Bloody hell," Alexis gagged, setting the cup down gently.

"How was it?" Sirius grinned. He seemed completely serious in wanting her to try it out.

"It's…Sirius, that was god awful," Alexis replied flatly. Her cousin's expression dropped. "Good effort," she added quickly. "Too much coffee; that'd explain the extreme bitterness," she explained, causing him to lighten up. "But…Sirius, did you put sour milk in it?" she asked, clicking her tongue as she tried to get the sour out of her taste buds. It was disgusting.

"Sour milk?" Sirius questioned, picking the cup up and smelling it. "Oh dear god," he said, leaning back and making a disgusted face. "It _is_ sour milk! Milk can go sour?"

"Of course it can!" Alexis replied, having to resist the urge to face-palm herself.

Sirius shook his head and solemnly took a seat. "These muggles can't do anything. They don't even have a charm or something to prevent their milk from going sour," he grumbled.

"You don't have the common sense to check it before you put it in and then feed it to your own cousin!" Alexis retorted, causing him to smile guiltily. "Merlin," she sighed. "I should have just refused the coffee."

"Well if you refused it, you'd have no reason in coming here."

"Yes I do. I need to get out of the flat, pretend I know nothing about Tonks' plan to follow Rosier, and let her sneak into my room to 'borrow' the locator and Ghost Necklace while I'm out which I've conveniently placed right next to my door on my bookshelf for her."

"Wait, you knew?" Sirius asked, surprised. He'd almost forgotten that his cousin, this one in particular, was extremely observant and her brain had the ability to figure everything out within the blink of an eye. It was extraordinary—no wonder the sorting hat placed her in Ravenclaw house. "How…?"

"Tonks wasn't exactly quiet about it," Alexis replied. "She was pacing in her room back and forth, back and forth last night, thinking aloud about it. She was also talking about it this morning in a rather thundering voice."

"But you…your door was closed last night."

"The night air echoes, Sirius."

"Oh," he said, leaning back and somewhat glaring at her for her intelligence alone. "So…what I don't get is, if you're willing to help Tonks, why not talk and make up with her?"

"I won't until she admits that Moody is up to something," Alexis replied stubbornly.

"You're so stubborn, aren't you?" Sirius asked. He knew the answer. Like all other member from the Black family tree, Alexis was equally as stubborn as any one of them.

"Yes," she smirked. "Now, before you make me taste any more foul and disgusting coffee sample, I'll be leaving."

"Where are you going? You don't even have work today."

"Take a walk around London."

"Sit and talk with me for a while. We haven't had any time at all to talk, just us," Sirius smiled. "We haven't talked over a glass of firewhiskey in so long. Though, we don't have firewhiskey here…we have coffee though."

Alexis looked at the unfinished cup of rotten coffee with detest. She didn't want to try it again. "Eh…I'll stay and talk but I don't want to drink any more of your coffee."

"Deal," Sirius laughed softly. "Now tell me cuz, how are you and that by-the-book boyfriend of yours doing?" he questioned, blunt as always. "I'm curious to know."

"We're doing good," she replied, opening herself to him. Although Sirius can act like a complete jester, Alexis still found herself able to trust him and confide anything in him. As she talked about her relationship with Marrick, there would often but a smile upon her face, lighting up her look and the dreary but thinning fog outside the window. "I mean, he and I are complete opposites, that much is clear. Normally, I'd think this relationship would never work, but it somehow is," she said pensively. "It's strange."

"Well you're not that normal yourself," Sirius teased, chuckling as he did so.

"You're one to talk," Alexis retorted, smiling.

"I am _very_ normal, thank you very much. It's _you_ who is confusing. I mean, I've met confusing women in my lifetime but you…I don't even know where to start."

"How am I confusing?" she asked, getting lost in a conversation with her cousin.

Sentimentally, Alexis often wondered what would happen if Sirius was taken from her life. She'd probably curse herself in the face for there was a strange truth within her, a strange part that needed him. It had been Sirius who held her when her parents died, Sirius who'd brought her to Andromeda and her dear cousin Tonks, Sirius who comforted her, who showed her how to dream and fight to be herself even if it meant rebellion, and Sirius who taught her to live by her own rules and dreams no matter how tricky the world becomes. Without Sirius, Alexis Black would have probably lost her mind years ago after the death of her parents and gotten lost in her emotions, never finding her way back to Andromeda and dear cousin Tonks.

"You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?" Sirius asked, waving a hand in front of her.

"What? No, sorry," she laughed. "I zoned out."

"Oh that wasn't obvious at all," he said sarcastically. "What were you thinking about?"

Alexis smiled. Although she loved him and needed him, never would Alexis admit that right to his face. He would just make fun of her about it and tease her endlessly. "I was thinking about how big of a prat you are…feeding me rotten coffee."

"Ugh," she groaned. "I forgot, you hold a grudge," he sighed, speaking a truth about her. Alexis Black had imperfections and amongst those was her unyielding nature in holding a grudge. However, imperfections were a part of life and hers seemed so minor in comparison to greed and evil. "Anyways, I was saying," Sirius began, returning to what he'd been talking about. "You are dating Marrick and you love him, that's a fact. Love practically drips from your gaze whenever you two look at each other. It's sickening!" He shivered and continued. "But yet, you're really close to the Weasley Twins as well…especially a particular twin named George…"

"It's not a sin to have a best friend you know," Alexis replied, smiling somewhat shyly.

"I thought Silvia was your best friend."

"She's more like an older sister."

"You have a rebuttal for everything, don't you?"

"Yes, yes I do," Alexis smirked. "Now, let me ask _you_ a question. Why are you, Mr. Sirius Black who is so _charming_ and _dashing_," she began, exaggerating her compliments towards him in a dramatic, teasing manner. "Why are you always talking and helping others about their romantic life but yet yours is as dead as a rock?"

"I just haven't had any time to find a woman yet," Sirius replied, seeming nervous.

"Right," she said, unbelieving. "Or is it you've found a woman but you're afraid of admitting to it?" Sirius grew even more nervous. Alexis was much too observant and worked out details much too quickly. "Admit it Sirius. You've set your eyes on a lovely woman but you're too afraid of pursuing her because you don't want to tie yourself down."

"No, no, no, no, _no_," Sirius said, waving his hands frantically before him. "No woman shall tie me down," he announced.

Alexis made a face and shrugged as she continued teasing him, finding humor and interest in messing with her cousin as she waited for the fog to clear up. It was thinning rapidly and she could finally see the other side of the street and the people bustling by. Finally, the day felt more like a London typical. She enjoyed herself and her day off, sitting in the coffee shop and talking with one of her favorite cousins who was constantly trying to deny his inner calling.

* * *

><p>It was typical November weather, dreary and gloomy with a mundane shade of grey overlooking the world. The air was calm with occasional sweeps of the cold wind here and there. A quiet and eerie mist lurked over Diagon Alley, clinging onto clothes and skin of the witches and wizards like cobwebs desperately finding a home. There was no distinction between land and sky, blended into several shades of grey by the hard-to-spot horizon line. Despite the weather, people still traversed to and fro, continuing on with their busy lives. Diagon Alley was packed tight as usual, bustling with witches and wizards in quiet chatter and small laughter.<p>

She took unsteady steps, stumbling often and struggling to keep herself standing while attempting to glide down the cobbled street in six-inch-heels. Why she, Nymphadora Tonks who was easily the clumsiest person alive, chose to walk in six-inch-heels was beyond her. Her disguise consisted of a complete morph. Her pale, heart-shaped face now wore a pointed look even she didn't recognize. She looked too much like the whole of the Black family with that face she wore, even more than Alexis and Andromeda did. Her hair was long, curly, and black; her eyes as black as coal with an unhinging stare. She'd transfigured her clothes to be extremely revealing, sexy in a sense, and looked completely not herself. It was a good morph. Although when she passed by a store window and casted a glance at herself, Tonks nearly toppled over in her unsteady shoes, having thought she was Bellatrix Lestrange.

Ian Rosier was several feet in front of her, walking without seeming to even notice her. Tonks, Remus, and Silvia had been following him for hours now. They've gone through several rotations with Tonks' previous disguises being an old hag, a lunatic, and a lost little girl. Remus' disguises were rather poor in her opinion—a teacher, a portly business man (she forced herself to stop imagining him being obscenely fat), and an old man with a cane. Silvia's disguises were much more thought out and less attention grabbing than theirs for Tonks had lost sight of her too many times in the crowds.

She quickly made a turn into the Leaky Cauldron, trying hard to look like she has a purpose while keeping a close eye on Rosier. Tonks walked in and lingered at the bar counter, conversing with Tom, the innkeeper for a while until Remus arrived. He looked more himself that time, blending into the crowd in traditional wizard robes, a tall pointed hat, and…Tonks' eyes widened. What was that thing on his face?

"Come sit with me at a table," Remus said as he passed by her.

When Remus sat down, Tonks gradually moved to him, noticing that he'd chosen a table only one away from where Rosier sat, enjoying a glass of firewhiskey and not suspecting a thing. Tonks came over, grabbing onto tables and chairs to keep herself balanced. She was biting her lip by the time she reached Remus, about ready to tear those blasted shoes of her feet and go bare-footed if she had to.

"I didn't think this disguise through," said Tonks, sitting down with relief.

"We'll switch in a few minutes," Remus told her in a comforting voice. "Although…Silv commented that you look like you could be the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange."

A scowl took over Tonks' face, making her look even more like the deranged woman in Azkaban. "Where is Silv anyways?" she asked in a low voice, careful to keep her conversation out of earshot and as less attention-grabbing as possible.

"She's outside," Remus replied. "She'll come in when we start moving again."

Tonks nodded. "We've been at it for hours. The only peculiar thing we've found out is that Rosier is as big a firewhiskey maniac as Sirius and Lexi and that's nothing useful."

"We did find out one thing," Remus said, his fake moustache twitching above his lips as he spoke. Tonks found herself staring at it, awkwardly. She had a strange temptation to touch it. "Nymphadora," he said, getting her attention.

"Sorry, what?"

Remus chuckled, knowing that she was completely distracted by the disguise he wore. He felt he hadn't thought his disguise through that time either. Perhaps it was just something about being a wizard—as a whole; the lot of them was utterly terrible with disguises and blending in.

"When he went into the apothecary earlier," he began. "I've checked with the lady there and she revealed that Rosier bought this list of items here." From his pocket, Remus pulled out a small list with several items hastily scribbled upon it.

_Lacewing flies_  
><em>Antimony<em>  
><em>Draught of Living Death<em>  
><em>Calming Solution<em>

Tonks studied the list written in Silvia's loopy handwriting. Her forehead creased with thin lines as she wondered about the four items on the list. Remus must be wondering the same thing for he too wore the same expression. What were the uses of these items and how did they tie in together? Why did Rosier need to get them?

"The Calming Solution," Remus began. "The only explanation I could think of is that Rosier is feeling too pressured and tensed, otherwise, why would he need it?"

"So something is making him restless," said Tonks, nodding. "That could probably fall in for all the things he had to do. Maybe someone's giving him orders he doesn't want to do."

"Maybe," Remus replied. "But there's also the part where maybe he just isn't used to London, having been overseas earlier, and needing a Calming Solution."

"Don't be too kind while judging him, Remus," Tonks said softly, her eyes throwing discreet glances towards Rosier who was still at his table one away from them, reading the Daily Prophet and enjoying a second of possibly third glass of firewhiskey. "Though yes, we need to consider all the possibilities."

"And the Draught of Living Death…what does he need that for?"

"I don't know," Tonks replied, thoughtful. "Who does he want to poison?"

"It's not exactly poison," Remus reminded her. "It can be used to subdue a person. With the antidote, the person can be woken up again with ease."

"Alright…who does he want to keep asleep and wake up at random times?"

"That, I don't know," Remus sighed.

Tonks huffed. "We only have illogical clues to work with. And what does he need lacewing flies and antimony for?" she questioned.

Remus didn't answer her. Instead, he quickly reached for his coat, his eyes on Rosier who had risen from his seat and was paying Tom. Rosier was moving again and seeing that he was facing the dooron the other side of the room, she could only guess that he was moving on into London next.

"Hurry," Remus said. "We might lose him."

"Got it," said Tonks, scrambling to get up.

Her clumsiness had always been something she hated about herself and during that moment, Tonks wanted to curse it out of her. As she got up, her feet had caught on what felt like the leg of a chair or table, and caused Tonks to flail to the ground. She made a loud noise and obviously a scene as her flailing arms desperately searched for something to cling onto. Remus tried to catch her but the table had been faster. Tonks knocked the small wooden table over sideways, spilling their drinks, and creating a loud array of noises.

"Bloody hell!" Tonks grumbled, taking Remus' hand as he pulled her up.

"Are you ok?" he asked her and she nodded. "Sorry Tom," said Remus, helping the innkeeper pick up his fallen table and drinks.

"I'm so sorry," said Tonks, paying the innkeeper then trying to get out of the crowd.

"Dora, wait up," Remus called, rushing after her, looking for Rosier.

"Wait," Silvia's voice suddenly called to them. While Tonks and Remus were trying to get through the door that separated London from The Leaky Cauldron, a barrier between their worlds, someone suddenly grabbed her and Remus' hands and pulled them back. "Wait up, what happened?" Silvia inquired.

"I fell," Tonks confessed. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," she sighed. "I don't think Ian saw you. He left before the big catastrophe."

"Hopefully," Tonks nodded.

"To be safe," Remus began saying. "Maybe we should change up our order slightly. Silv, you take over following him closely. Nymphadora and I will continue trailing from behind."

Silvia nodded and in a quick stride, made her way onto the street of London at once. Remus nodded to Tonks and they got to work again. Tonks was keeping near Remus, trying to ignore the rapidly forming bruise on her knee. As they left The Leaky Cauldron, she'd seized the opportunity to morph into a simple business woman, looking almost identical to one she'd just seen pass her by without a glance. Her hair was light brown, her facial features soft, and a tired look was in her eyes. Tonks was also glad she now only wore one-inch-heels.

"Do you spot Silvia?" Tonks asked.

Remus was the taller one and craned his neck up to see over the small crowds. "Yes," he replied. "She's very close to Rosier but he seems to have not yet noticed her."

"Do you think he noticed us?" Tonks asked.

"Hopefully not, but I'm not quite sure," he answered. "Love, I'll go up a little further."

"Alright," Tonks agreed and watched as Remus maneuvered his way forward.

It was like a train they were on with Tonks at the end and Rosier at the front. Three people had been discreetly following him the entire day. Tonks wondered if they were just very good with their act or if Rosier was simply too daft to notice anything at all.

Crossing several streets, Tonks felt that their routine had returned to its normality again. She was watching Remus who had no trouble at all blending in with the London goers in his professor-like attire. Silvia was still keeping up pace with Rosier, charming her clothes to look more like a business woman's as well. Like the entire morning, Rosier seemed to not have suspected a thing—at least that was what Tonks felt, watching him from behind.

She often wondered what Rosier was exactly up to. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that he was somehow involved in all the strange happenings lately. His family had Death Eaters in it after all. What Tonks couldn't explain was who had put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire. Rosier was too far away to accomplish that task. It was a strange and paranoid thought but Tonks felt that possibly, Rosier might have an accomplice at Hogwarts. Either way, if he was up to something, he was definitely not working alone.

While she was wallowing in her thoughts, Tonks suddenly spotted Remus running back to her. He grabbed her hand quickly and without explanation, pulled her into a run. Tonks quickly followed, running beside him as they closed the distance between themselves and Rosier and Silvia. Tonks was confused.

"What are we doing?" Tonks asked as Remus pulled her smoothly into an alley. How he can be so agile and smooth on his feet was beyond Tonks. She was glad however, for his coordination balanced out her clumsiness.

"They're waiting for a bus," Remus replied, taking out his wand and attempting to change his clothes again, out of sight of others who passed them by. They were standing too far back into an alley, no one but the wind and the air would notice them.

"I'm out of ideas," said Tonks, tapping her wand and struggling to think.

"We'll play a couple," Remus smiled, changing his attire into that of a casual shirt and cardigan. His hair was back to normal and there was no intruding moustache on his face. Remus charmed away his scars, a thing Tonks wished he didn't have to do.

"Alright, a couple," she smiled in response. Tonks shut her eyes tightly and imagined herself around the size of her cousin, lanky and thin although with a nice and proportional figure. Her hair was dark brown now, her eyes a shocking emerald green, and her face was back to Tonks although with darker, slightly more prominent features to match her hair. She charmed her clothes to that of a trench coat, concealing her t-shirt bearing the legend _The Weird Sisters_ underneath as she didn't have time to change the rest of her attire. She and Remus were running now, rushing to get onto the bright, scarlet red double decker bus that had just stopped.

They passed by Silvia and Rosier on the bus, holding hands as a couple and enjoying the presence of each other without acting at all. Silvia was a seat behind Rosier, sitting towards the middle of the bus. Remus and Tonks moved onto the very back, overlooking the scene while wondering where Rosier was headed now. He seemed without purpose that day—at least that morning. He seemed to simply be passing time in which he had too much of.

The bus ride was more of a distraction than Tonks had expected. While sitting with Remus, being a real couple, she couldn't bring herself to turn away from him and keep an eye on Rosier. In all honesty, Tonks would rather focus her attention on Remus over every man in the world any day. They sat and talked and watched as the scenery go by. Only when Remus pointed out that it was near sunset did Tonks realize that they were going out of London, into the countryside. Silvia was still sitting behind Rosier, seeming like she was asleep. Tonks hoped she was only pretending.

Many more minutes passed—Tonks didn't know how long exactly—until the bus finally came to a stop. Fortunately, it stopped in a small neighborhood with very little houses but many trees and thickets. Tonks and Remus waited until Rosier and Silvia got off until they finally did so themselves. Once they stepped off the bus, they waited until Rosier was a fair distance away until they met up with each other.

"We can't follow him as easily here," Silvia stated. "There aren't many people…actually there's no one at all. They've all gone home."

"We could try the Ghost Necklace," said Tonks, taking it out and twirling it around her index finger. "But, how are we all going to fit?"

"The Disillusionment Charm," Silvia suggested.

"It still makes noise though," Remus stated. "How about someone follow Rosier closely with the necklace and the other two follow a little further behind with the charm?"

"I'll go with the necklace," said Tonks, slipping it on. "Hurry up, she said before fully latching the necklace around her neck. "We're losing him."

Within the blink of an eye, Nymphadora Tonks disappeared. Remus could only guess that she was making her way towards Rosier while Silvia and he were disillusioning themselves. When he used the charm, Remus felt as if a raw egg had been cracked right over his head and the yolk was dripping down his entire body, covering him whole. It was a weird feeling, but it was nothing to complain about.

Unable to see either Silvia or Tonks, Remus went on following Rosier, hoping to not run into any of them. He was a fair distance behind, noticing that Rosier had now headed down a quiet empty road, going into the woods. The wind here was harsher, as if they were on a place of higher elevation than London that allowed for the wind to breeze by freely.

Rosier was walking in a more peculiar, more cautious way now, Remus noticed. He worried that Rosier may be suspecting that he was being followed. For a while longer, Remus and hopefully Silvia and Tonks continued to follow Rosier, deeper into the woods. There were only trees surrounding them now and yet the wind still swept by as if the large trees were nothing more than long grass.

"We're on a cliff," Remus mused aloud, looking around himself. He felt uncomfortable, being unfamiliar with the surrounding.

A little bit further down the way, Ian Rosier suddenly came to an abrupt halt. He was standing at the end of a peak or a cliff—Remus couldn't quite see. Muggles had set metal railings around the edge as a safety precaution and Rosier was leaning on the railing, his body facing them with a smirk upon his face.

"How long are you aurors going to keep following me?" he questioned in a smooth voice.

No response. They'd be fools if they responded to him.

He shook his head and began pacing back and forth, back and forth. That smirk on Rosier's arrogant face brought an uneasy feeling to Remus and he began to wonder where Tonks and Silvia were standing. To get a better view of things, Remus, as quietly as possible, walked closer to Rosier. He could see the leaves on the ground shift slightly and he knew he'd passed by Silvia who was standing behind a tree, watching. Where was Tonks?

Rosier suddenly took his wand out from inside his jacket, a long, black stick that was shaped in a strange way. He twirled it in his hands for a moment, his smile unchanging. Remus wondered if Rosier could see them. It wouldn't be possible, not unless he had Mad-Eye Moody's magical eye and the last time Remus checked, Ian Rosier's eyes were still intact.

Suddenly, Rosier waved his wand widely, seeming to have casted a spell although nothing—visible at least—left his wand tip. The next moment, he vanished, disapparated right before their eyes.

Remus immediately disillusioned himself and so did Silvia. Tonks tore the necklace off her neck once Rosier disappeared and they stood in their spots, looking around.

"How do we find him now?" Tonks asked, seeming frustrated.

"I don't—" Before Remus could finish his brief response, the ground below him suddenly felt like it was caving in. The sound of earth and rock shifted and rumbled and the ground seemed to be shaking slightly. Silvia had fallen back, hitting her elbow on the tree behind her while Remus and Tonks struggled to keep their balance. Had Rosier discreetly created an earthquake? It seemed very likely and there was a spell for that.

"Remus!" Tonks shrieked.

Without warning, the ground below Tonks suddenly crumbled and Remus watched as the edge of the cliff completely fell off. He scrambled towards her at once, jumping a long distance and landing with a hard thud as his chest collided with the ground. He was grappling, desperately trying to reach her and grab her hand.

"Dora!" he yelled.

Silvia was beside him at once, her wand out and eyes vigilant.

For that brief, unexpected second, they were searching for Tonks through the cover of falling rocks and debris. The edge of the cliff crumbled and broke. Pieces of it, large pieces of debris, came tumbling down the steep hillside below. In a flash, they could see Tonks again, her pink hair flowing in the unkind wind as she clung desperately onto a thick root sticking out of the side of the cliff. The harsh wind was carrying her, threatening to sweep her away.

"Dora, hold on!" Remus called, hastily searching for his own wand as well.

Together with Silvia, he pointed the wand at Tonks and called, "_Wingardium Leviosa_!"

By magic, Tonks was lifted from the side of the cliff. Her figure wavered in the wind for a brief second but both Remus and Silvia had managed to levitate her back onto sturdier ground with both their levitation spells. Once Tonks landed, Remus held her immediately and with Silvia, backed away into the woods again, breathing heavily from the shock.

"Thank god we're magical," Tonks breathed, clinging onto Remus as if in fear although holding a brave face.

"Rosier knew we were following him," Remus sighed, holding Tonks tightly and comforting her. He straightened out her hair and kissed her temple while speaking with Silvia. Tonks' embrace was tight and he knew she was shocked and clinging onto him for silent support.

"Not exactly," Silvia said. "He thinks we're all aurors. If he knew it was me, Ian wouldn't hesitate to call me out. He doesn't know exactly _who_ is following him, just that he's being followed," she clarified.

"So should we continue?" Remus asked.

"Perhaps," Silvia said. "We've gone this far."

"Nymphadora?" Remus called her name.

Tonks placed her head on his chest as she reached inside the pocket of her robes in search of the locator she'd taken from her cousin. She seemed to have found it for she was pulling it out but the look on Tonks' face said that she was missing something.

"I think I dropped the Ghost Necklace."

"_Accio Necklace!_" Remus called, waving his wand immediately.

Within seconds, the battered and broken Ghost Necklace came flying up from possibly the bottom of the cliff. Traces of dirt were stuck to it and by the looks of it; they all knew it wouldn't be working again anytime soon. Tonks stared at it, no doubt wondering how her cousin would react when her necklace suddenly turned out like that.

"Lexi's going to kill me," said Tonks.

"She'll understand," Silvia reassured her, pocketing the necklace that time.

Tonks shook her head and returned to the locator in her hands. It was in close resemblance of a compass with a pointer, sundial, and everything in glass. Tonks opened it and stared at it, wondering why it suddenly looked so much more confusing. Of course, Alexis had made modifications to it since the last time Tonks had seen it.

"How do I use this blasted thing?" Tonks wondered.

"Tap it with your wand," Silvia said. "Lexi changed it to give us the exact location of the person we're looking for. It doesn't work all the time, but that was what she told me."

"Why'd she change it?" Tonks asked.

Silvia shrugged although appearing like she knew the answer.

Tonks didn't bother to ask and returned to the glass compass in her hand. She did as instructed and tapped it once with her wand. Nothing. Tonks tapped it again. Nothing. Frustrated, she tapped it as hard as she could and as if she'd knocked some sense into the inanimate object, the compass reacted and glowed blue.

"What did I do?"

"You didn't break it," Remus assured her. The face of the compass was glowing and letters were forming upon it, seeming more like symbols used in ancient alchemy. "It seems that Lexi hadn't finished the modifications," Remus pointed it out, recognizing some of the symbols.

"What language is this?" Tonks asked.

"They're symbols from the Sigillum Mysteriorum, Merlin's original code of magic," Remus explained. He'd read all about this in a book once and fortunately remembered a good chunk of it. "It's the barrier between alchemy and the understanding of magic in a more tangible form. Many spell incantations and magical items, are deciphered from it through various codes and means. Lexi must not have finished or reached the translation process yet."

"I've heard about this," Silvia stated. "The two rings are used to read codes written in alchemical symbols. We learned about this in Ancient Runes," she smiled, briefly remembering the one class she and Remus had shared together back in school so many years ago.

"Great," Tonks groaned. "How do we read it?"

"I recognize that symbol as a 'b'," Remus stated, pointing to a strange looking 'U' in Tonks' opinion. "And that one is an 'f'." He was now pointing to an O-shaped symbol.

"That's a 'd'," Silvia said, now pointing to a funny looking 'M'.

Tonks was staring at the two, completely baffled. She'd never taken Ancient Runes when she was back in school and was somewhat regretting it now. Her eyes turned to Remus who from his pocket, drew out a piece of parchment and a small piece of graphite, scribbling something down. It appears to be the letters they've gotten.

"We have this now," he stated, showing the piece of parchment to Tonks and Silvia.

She looked at it. Tonks hadn't taken Ancient Runes and does not know anything of the charts and translation of symbols, but she did know how to decipher words. It was like a game of Hangman. Tonks looked at what Remus wrote down and ran through a million possibilities inside her mind, before settling on one thing.

_F _ _ B _ D D _ _ F _ _ _ _ __

"The Forbidden Forest," said Tonks, matching the word spaces displayed on the locator with the letters Remus and Silvia had deciphered. "That looks about right. I can't read the numbers or what appears to be the exact pinpoint location below it though."

"That's a start," Silvia smiled. "We'll apparated to Hogsmeade and get there through Hogwarts." She was on the move again.

"Brilliant, love," Remus complemented before taking her hand and disapparating.

Tonks couldn't help but smile, leaving a trace of happiness in that unknown woods while she disapparated away, never to see it again.

* * *

><p>They'd apparated right into the streets of Hogsmeade and ran all the way up to Hogwarts castle. As if expecting them, Dumbledore was on his way out of the castle, surprisingly by foot. They'd tried to quickly explain what they were doing to him but he smiled and allowed them to pass while he made his way down to Hogsmeade by himself. While running, Remus thought about Dumbledore's sudden presence and didn't think it impossible for the Great Headmaster to know if someone had gotten anywhere near his school.<p>

"How'd Rosier get into the forest anyways?" Tonks asked.

"The forest _borders_ Hogwarts," Remus explained. "We don't know exactly where the other side of the forest leads to but there is no brick wall separating it from Hogwarts' ground. It only acts as a border. The other side could lead to anywhere."

"Ian probably got through there," Silvia said, huffing as she ran.

They'd been running for a while now. They ran through the school grounds, perhaps seeming very strange to any student who bothered to look out the window and spotted them. Tonks, Remus, and Silvia entered the Forbidden Forest without fear. In her school days, Tonks had ventured into here before, mostly because of dares. She'd gotten quite used to the darkness and silence that echoed between the trees. That was when she was younger. Now, she had nothing to fear. She was with Remus, and she was an auror. That was more than enough reassurance for her.

"Hush," Remus said, suddenly holding both Tonks and Silvia back.

Having been running at full speed, Tonks collided with his arm. Luckily, Remus caught her before she'd fallen and he helped Silvia stabilize herself as she avoided running into his arm as well. They were stopped in some part of the woods they did not recognize and in the far distance horses' hooves could be heard stomping on the ground in a clip-clop fashion. They were probably the centaurs, Tonks thought.

"You spotted Rosier?" Tonks asked.

Remus nodded and held his index finger up to his lips. He motioned for them to crouch down and following him, they maneuvered their way closer to wherever Rosier was, crouching low. Being as quiet as possible, Remus, Tonks, and Silvia hid behind a large rise of land, probably a pile of built up dirt and rocks. Rosier was pacing again, a fair distance away from them. He seemed to be waiting for someone and was quickly growing impatient.

"What's going on?" Tonks whispered.

"I don't know but it appears he hasn't spotted us," Remus replied in a hushed voice.

"Quick, someone's coming," Silvia said. "Disillusion yourselves."

They followed her instructions immediately, casting the charm in silence. As the feeling of eggs cracking over their heads signaled to them their spell had worked, their eyes were watching as a shadow emerged from the far end of the forest. It came from the same direction as them, shuffling over the dead leaves in the middle of autumn. The figure seemed to walk in an unsteady pace but his or her strides were long. Looking at them, Tonks guessed it had to be a teacher or staff or someone from the castle.

"Who do you think it is?" Silvia asked.

"It could be Karkaroff," Remus suggested as the figure came closer.

"Or Snape," Tonks said.

"Seems a little big to be Snape or Karkaroff," said Silvia.

The figure came closer and closer, meeting with Rosier in the small clearing.

"Maybe Barty Crouch Sr.?" Tonks mused.

Several more footsteps and they could clearly hear that the footsteps of the figure were clonks. It was a man no doubt, by his large, burly build. A low grumble like a growl was emitting from his throat as he walked. The sound echoed in the silence and eeriness of the Forbidden Forest. Tonks looked closer, staring at the approaching man. He was clonking…

Caught in a state of bewilderment, Tonks was speechless. She couldn't believe her eyes. She was trying to tell herself it couldn't be him, but there was no denying the truth. For a moment, Tonks couldn't tell the difference between lies and reality. She'd convinced herself it wasn't him, but the truth was harsh. Tonks was staring at the man as he clonked and grumbled his way over to Rosier. The sound of wood clicked against the hard ground of the forest. It was the same sound Tonks had grown accustomed through all throughout auror training.

"Mad-Eye…."

* * *

><p>Replies:<p>

RemusTonksFan: Thanks so much! I always love reading your reviews xD I read long books too and I think that's why I tend to write really long chapters, who knows? And I love the Blood Moon scenes personally too...I'm also thinking about another Moon related event. I've been reading a lot of fics about the Blue Moon. What do you think?

Ellen Potter: Thank you! Thanks for reviewing and I personally think it's alright length but I just wanted to make sure my readers are alright with it xD Also, I really worry about myself sometimes...Sir Mimsy de Pumpernickel...haha, sorry.


	18. Don't Trust an Honest Man

**Author's Note:**

I hope Tonks' reaction is somewhat believable. Do tell me how to improve if it's not, thank you! Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and giving this story a chance xD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18 – Don't Trust an Honest Man<strong>

Somewhere deep inside the Forbidden Forest, Remus, Tonks, and Silvia crouched behind a small slope, watching a much unexpected meeting. They were so deep into the forest that no sunlight could penetrate the thick blanket of trees that covered the sky. In fact, they were so far into the forest that the air was particularly colder, grimmer, and foreboding. They were far away from Hogwarts—perhaps on the other side of the forest which not many knew of. Sounds from the forest began playing in a synchronized natural melody as the darkness took over. It was near sunset, possibly. The thick branches and treetops made it impossible to tell the state of the sky.

Bewildered, Tonks couldn't bring herself to move or even utter a single word or sound through her surprise. She'd grown so used to that clonking that she could recognize the man by his step. That low and incessant grumble was always fresh in her mind, reminding her how to be a good auror. As he drew closer into the light of the clearing, his face became visible. She shook as she looked at him, connecting all the dots that were so obviously laid out before her. Tonks wanted to hex herself.

There he was, Mad-Eye Moody in the flesh, meeting with Ian Rosier. Moody didn't seem to be controlled or bewitched in any way—he was there on his own accord. His electric blue magical eye appears to be stuck, fixated upon Rosier in an unhinging glare. Moody, battle-worn and scarred as ever, was really there. Tonks couldn't believe it. She'd convinced herself it couldn't be true. Alexis' constant claims about Moody cannot be true. Tonks had always known Moody as a just and honest man. He couldn't be any different. Caught in denial, for a moment, Tonks refused to believe that he was Mad-Eye Moody, the one she knew and admired. However, when he spoke, that same low and scratchy voice wiped away all her excuses like a clean slate, leaving her with only the harsh, harsh truth.

"You wanted to see me so urgently, Rosier?" Moody asked in his usual growl.

Remus was crouched over, listening closely while his hand was on Tonks' shoulder, keeping her grounded in case her impulsive nature pushed her to explosion. They needed to find out Moody's relation with Rosier first before they could just barge in. They needed evidence, and Remus was careful to make sure they don't come back empty-handed.

"We had a deal," Rosier growled, storming up to Mad-Eye without fear. "I do what you say and no harm shall befall me. Why is it there are aurors on my trail?"

"That is just your own stupidity, Rosier," Moody spat. "How do you know they're aurors anyways? Has your sense of paranoia gone to your head?"

Rosier laughed a hollow and humorless laugh. "Mad-Eye Moody, asking me if I've become too paranoid," he retorted dryly. "What has the world come to?"

"The world's turned upside-down," Moody replied. "Now don't trouble me with trivial matters. Handle those aurors yourself."

Frantically, Rosier grabbed onto Moody's arm with a tight grip. There was worry in his eyes—Remus could see that even from where he hid. "Crouch said that if I helped you, you'd make sure I'm out of trouble," Rosier mentioned.

"Crouch's word cannot be trusted," Moody replied icily. "His only concern is bringing back the Dark Lord. If it means sacrificing a few ex-Death Eaters to get to his goal, he will do as such. You'd be a fool to trust his words."

"Yes, and I'd be a fool to trust you," Rosier replied in a low voice. "Alastor Moody, auror, traitor, now working for the very people he'd spent his life hunting," Rosier taunted. "What makes you so trustworthy? How can Crouch and Lord Voldemort trust you with such an important task?"

Moody chuckled, sounding not himself. Tonks was still frozen, motionless. She'd shifted and was about to stand up several times, but Remus' grip grew firmer and kept her grounded. She watched in miserable silence, her hair turning a fiery shade of red as she listened. Moody had never chuckled like that before—neither did he stick his tongue out in a snake-like manner. Moody was not himself, and Tonks was playing on every tiny excuse, no matter how infinitesimally small, to defend the man she was quickly losing trust in.

"What makes me so important?" Moody asked. "There are some things that even the most brilliant mind cannot comprehend, Rosier," he replied in a sickeningly smooth voice.

They watched. They all watched as Moody reached into the pocket of his long robes and pulled out his hip flask, the one Tonks knew he always drank out of, and took a long sip. He shivered slightly after his drink and as quickly as possible, returned the flash back into its place inside his long and concealing khaki robes.

"If you don't get those aurors off my trail, I'll have to foil your part of the plan and see how much Crouch and the Dark Lord will trust you then." Rosier smiled a sickening smile. Remus couldn't see the expression on Silvia or Tonks' face but he could guess that they were disgusted watching him. "It's really not that hard, getting that pink-haired shape-shifter, her werewolf lover, and my foolish ex-wife to think that you're up to something bad. They already doubt you, taking precautions against you as we speak."

A train of thought seemed to have breezed through Moody's mind. His eyes flickered distant for a moment but then he returned to reality, his attitude about helping Rosier slightly changed. He spoke in a lower voice now, less smooth and scratchier than ever.

"How did you discover there are aurors on your trail? Who are they?"

Rosier's smirk twisted upwards, satisfied. "I know Silvia was following me, and one or two others. I could smell her perfume, no matter how well she disguised herself. As for the others, there was this constant scent of lavender lingering in the air, and this woman at The Leaky Cauldron wore the same scent and tripped over a table trying to follow me."

Tonks heard everything Rosier had said and suddenly wished she was less clumsy and wore less perfume. She couldn't see what Silvia was doing since she was disillusioned, but she could tell that Silvia was probably regretting her decision to wear perfume that day as well.

"Silvia," Moody said. "Silvia White, your foolish ex-wife? If she's following you, I think I have a clear idea of whom the others are."

"I don't care who they are, just get rid of them for me," Rosier stressed. "I've done everything Crouch asked me to. I've done everything _you_ told me to. I disposed of that filthy muggle caretaker's body after he was killed. I made it look like he was attacked by an animal, framing that stupid werewolf professor just so you could get the job as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. _I_ brought you closer to Harry Potter and to our plan. The least you could do for me is to get those irritably annoying aurors off my back!"

"You expect me to kill them?" Moody laughed dryly.

She couldn't bring herself to listen any longer. Tonks' jaw was clenched tightly together, her hands balled up into fists with her knuckles turning white. She was shaking, seething with anger and disbelief. She was caught in a state of bewilderment and any second, she knew she'd break out in a fit of angry hysteria. Noticing her tension, Remus tightened his hold on her.

"Nymphadora," he called in a calming voice. Unfortunately, his voice didn't calm her down quickly enough. "Don't do anything rash," he whispered.

Tonks managed a nod, but she'd heard enough.

"I can't believe it," Tonks growled. Simultaneously, she'd reached for her wand and stood up. Uncaring that Moody could hear the rustle of the leaves with her every step in the silent and eerily echoing forest, Tonks stormed her way over to him.

"Nymphadora!" she heard Remus hiss behind her, footsteps following.

"Tonks!" Silvia's response was immediately after Remus'.

Mad-Eye and Rosier both turned and looked in all different directions, immediately noticing that they were no longer alone in the forest. Seething with anger, Tonks didn't care to know what she was doing. She thought of nothing other than demanding an answer from Moody. Why? Why did he change? Why was he helping the very people he'd sworn to capture bring back Voldemort?

"WHY?" Tonks shrieked at the top of her lungs.

She'd dropped her disillusionment charm now, uncaring that they both could see her. Moody's wand was in his hand already but he didn't attack. Rosier fumbled for his own wand and before he had the chance to even take it out of his robes, Tonks had already stunned him.

"_Stupefy_!" She screamed the harsh stunner, hitting Rosier directly in the chest with it. Tonks' wand was then pointed at Moody, her eyes bearing disbelief and anger. "Why?" she shrieked again. "Why is it you? Why are you siding with them, the very people you've sworn to arrest?" she bellowed.

Moody chuckled, seeming completely at ease and unthreatened. "Strange place the Forbidden Forest is," he said. "You never know what you'd find or…uncover in here."

"Answer me!" Tonks hollered, feeling a strange, hysterical feeling consume her. She didn't quite know what it was. It was a new feeling of pain she'd never known before. Was it betrayal? She did not know. "Mad-Eye, answer me!"

"You'll find no evidence here, Nymphadora," Moody replied calmly. "No one else will believe you that I am up to something bad…not even Dumbledore…"

"_STUPEFY_!" Three voices roared at once.

Three jets of white light shot from three different directions like the corners of a triangle. They collided at the center were Moody was standing and erupted into fireworks. It would have been a critical hit; however, Moody had vanished. He was no longer standing there—he'd disapparated right on the spot, leaving an unconscious Rosier behind. Mad-Eye Moody had betrayed Tonks and escaped.

It was true and Tonks knew that. When they leave the forest, no one else will believe their claim that Moody had been there and that he was up to something dangerous and malicious towards them. Moody had built up too strong of a foundation of trust in the Wizarding World for them to easily convince others of his betrayal. It was a difficult situation they were put in.

Remus and Tonks dropped their concealment immediately and ran over to meet Tonks who stood trembling in the middle of the woods. Silvia had a sympathetic look in her warm, chocolate brown eyes. She understood how Tonks felt, having trusted Mad-Eye and now witnessing his confession to his betrayal. Remus was behind Tonks, supporting her as she bent down to the ground, kneeling on her knees, and started pounding at the earth.

Whether it was out of spite, disbelief, or confusion, Tonks didn't know. All she knew was that she was pounding at the earth, boring a hole into the soil and reddening her knuckles which have all gone numb with the constant pounding.

"Nymphadora," Remus called, pulling her up. He had to use a little more force than he'd liked to get her up to her feet again. "Come on," he said softly, taking hold of her around her waist. He knew she needed quiet and comfort at the moment, but they were in the middle of a very unknown and very strange part of the Forbidden Forest, somewhere far away from Hogwarts where apparition was very much possible. "We have to get out of here."

"I'll get Rosier," Silvia said softly in a defeated voice. It appears that inside her, she'd secretly gone through the same turmoil as Tonks, defending Moody against all the doubts and ambiguity, only to be betrayed by him. She quietly treaded over to where the unconscious body of Ian Rosier laid and levitated him up to move him.

"Nymphadora," Remus called again, leading her back in the direction from which they came from into that small clearing of the forest.

* * *

><p>In the late evening of that surprising day, Tonks had gotten over her initial surprise of Moody's ill intentions towards them. She was no longer in denial. Instead, her mind was busy wondering how she'd prove his menace to others when he had such a strong and almost unyielding foundation of trust built. She was busy asking a million questions: Why did he suddenly change? Why hadn't she noticed it in all the times she'd seen him before? What exactly had happened? Could Moody be blackmailed? What was Moody's reason in siding with Voldemort? There were just too many questions to be asked.<p>

"Tonks," Sirius called, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes.

She leaned back, falling into Remus who sat behind her, his arms around her waist. They were in the homely living room of Tonks, Sirius, and Alexis' flat in London, sitting and talking around a small fire in the increasingly cold weather. She'd zoned out moments ago and had heard nothing of what Sirius had said.

"Do you have any ideas?" Sirius asked.

Slightly dazed, Tonks shook her head. "No," she replied.

Remus sighed softly behind her while Sirius placed his head in his hands. Silvia was quiet, sitting cooped up at the corner armchair, her knees drawn up to her chest as she stared off into space. She too had zoned out—Tonks recognized that distant look in her chocolaty brown eyes that were softer, as if more vulnerable, than usual.

"How are we going to tell others what you three have found out?" Sirius asked solemnly.

"I don't know," Remus replied, shaking his head. "Alastor has an unyielding foundation of trust within the Ministry and Hogwarts. There is no way we can convince others that he's up to something without solid, concrete evidence."

"There's no way we can convince anyone without having them witness it themselves," Silvia spoke up quietly. Sirius casted a glance towards her, looking at her with worry in his eyes in a similar way he looked at Tonks, however there was something else, something slightly more in his gaze towards Silvia.

"What happened to Rosier?" Sirius asked, solemnly glancing at Silvia who seemed tense at the mentioning of this name—they all knew the shocking reason why.

"Kingsley has him," Silvia replied in a barely audible murmur. "He's taken in for interrogations and…with Kingsley's skill…will most likely be arrested."

Sirius didn't say any more. He placed his hand over Silvia's squeezing her hand gently and continued to hold onto her without speaking. Tonks and Remus watched them quietly. It was as if for Sirius and Silvia, silence was their comfort. No, it was a silent understanding that in an unbelievable sort of way, Sirius and Silvia shared despite their differences.

Tonks sighed. She wanted to forget everything. She wanted desperately to forget the world and sink away. If she could, Tonks would run away in her sleep and never turn back to such troubles and problems. Gradually, Tonks allowed herself to relax in Remus' warm embrace and leaned back into his arms, closing her eyes briefly. Her slender fingers trailed over the silver necklace that hung around her neck, yearning to have nothing else on her mind besides Remus.

Something suddenly came up, surfacing in her mind. Tonks sat up again, Remus' arms still around her as realization dawned.

"What are we going to tell Harry?" she asked suddenly. "He _has_ the right to know if one of his teachers is plotting to kill him."

Silence.

Sirius was biting his lips in thought. Silvia had zoned out again, thinking. And Remus was simply staring at his hands, lacing and weaving his fingers in and out of Tonks' hold, as quiet as a rock. For a while, the silence didn't affect them. But soon, the silence became uncomfortable and unbearable. Tonks and Remus both wished that someone would speak up soon. Hopefully it was Sirius, Harry's godfather, or Silvia, who was much more like a godmother to Harry than anyone else despite her young age.

"We can't tell him," Sirius said.

Silvia heard him and she didn't say anything. It appears that Silvia shared the same understanding and logic as Sirius during that moment, a rarity.

"What?" Tonks replied. "Why can't we tell him? He as the right to know."

Remus sighed. "Sirius, perhaps…"

"Remus, you and I both know too well how much like his father Harry is," Sirius cut in. "Knowing James, he'd want to investigate this—he wouldn't let it go. If we tell Harry, Harry's investigative nature could get him in big trouble and risky situations. Say he tried to follow Moody. He could get hurt. I'm not willing to risk that." Sirius sighed. "Silvia?" he asked, hoping for her input.

Tonks turned to Silvia while Remus retreated to his thoughts.

"I agree with Sirius," Silvia replied solemnly. "It's best to leave Harry out of this for as long as possible and trust that as long as Dumbledore is around, no harm can befall Harry. I'd rather not risk Harry following Moody in hopes of helping us or answering his own curiosity and then getting himself hurt or worse, killed." Her voice was soft and her rich, Spanish accent less evident when she was speaking her direct, untainted thoughts.

"What we need to do is find evidence…_solid_ evidence, against Moody," Sirius said. "And convince others that he's untrustworthy."

"Lexi had known it all along," said Tonks in a low, almost shameful and regretting voice.

"Why was Lexi so headstrong in her suspicion of Moody?" Remus mused. "It can't simply be because of what she'd seen at the Riddle House."

"I can't think of any other reason," said Tonks.

Remus' brows furrowed up in his thought. He didn't think that it was quite that simple. Remus, although admittedly didn't know Alexis as well as the other three did, had figured out that she had a very logical but equally creative mind. There had to be more, another reason, for her stubborn suspicion of Moody other than their skirmish at the Riddle House.

"Where is Lexi?" Tonks asked, wishing to see her cousin.

"Sleeping over at Marrick's flat," Sirius replied. "Don't worry," he added, noticing the fall in Tonks' expression. "She'll come home in the morning to get changed and get her things."

Tonks nodded and leaned back again, sighing and easing into Remus' hold.

As the night went on and the moon passed its peak in the sky, Sirius and Silvia left the living room, leaving Remus and Tonks to themselves. Sirius had strangely invited Silvia into his room, simply to talk, he said. Tonks and Remus watched them go in quietly and didn't question. Remus knew that although Sirius can be obnoxious and careless, it was in his nature to care and Silvia was much too close and too important to him. It was impossible for him not to care.

Sitting alone in the dark living room by themselves, Remus and Tonks didn't move or budge in their position. Tonks still lay in Remus' arms. They were now sprawled out on the sofa, Remus holding tightly onto her as they rested their heads on the side cushion. Everything was quiet and even the slightest of noises, the softest of whispers, echoed in the night's still and unmoving air.

"You're waiting for Lexi to come home?" Remus asked in a whisper although he already knew the answer. Tonks cared as well, and she'd also felt terrible for not trusting her cousin.

Tonks nodded gently. "I need to talk to her," she confessed.

* * *

><p>On that mid-October morning, the weather outside was quickly growing drearier with each passing hour. A thick morning fog had blinded the whole of London, once again. It almost felt like the fog had made the city of London its home and refused to leave. No light could penetrate far into the fog and once again, like the passing fogs before, blind men and women were left scrambling to and fro in an impossible game of Blind Man's Bluff.<p>

Almost not realizing that it was morning already because of the fog outside the window, Alexis rolled in the warm mattress and was close to falling back asleep. She woke up suddenly when a strange feeling visited her, making her want to come home suddenly. That was weird. She'd never had that sort of feeling before. The closest that came to it was longing but this was just a strange and indescribable feeling.

Tired, she yawned and stretched her arms only to realize that she had to retract them less she hit her sleeping boyfriend laying right beside her. Alexis turned over to her side to face him, watching his innocently sleeping face with a gentle smile. She wondered how he can do it—handle the many problems at work along with her many problems. Marrick was truly a phenomenal bloke and had it been several years ago, she would have thought herself mad if she ever complemented him.

Hugging her blanket, Alexis continued to watch him, fast asleep. Her eyes trailed through each and every one of his features, memorizing them all with ease. Dark brown eyes then trailed up to his fringe where a faint scar still sat, imprinted into his skin as if it was a permanent tattoo. She giggled softly and traced the scar with her index finger, remembering exactly how it came to be on Marrick's head.

It was their fifth year at Hogwarts when Alexis Black and Marrick Kingston still hated each other's guts. They were in the middle of a Quidditch match with the scores tied. That game had easily been one of the dirtiest games of the year, surprisingly between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, two teams that usually weren't as big as rivals as Gryffindor and Slytherin were. The entire time, Alexis had been arguing and glaring at Marrick non-stop for allowing his team to foul continuously. She was no saint herself and had allowed her own team to foul his players; however, she didn't think much of her rule-breaking (she broke them all the time). Towards the end of the match, after a heated argument with Marrick over whether her teammate had scored a goal or not, Alexis regained possession of the Quaffle. Frustrated, she charged straight for the three golden rings at the other end of the pitch where Marrick was guarding, stealthily avoiding bludgers and other chasers in the process. When she got to the rings, surprisingly, instead of scoring a goal to break the tie, Alexis drove the ball through the air and pelted the keeper's head with it, knocking Marrick off his broom and possibly had given him a concussion.

She giggled more as the memory came to her mind. Alexis shook her head as she shifted on the bed, finding it rather ironic that she was now in the same bed as the bloke she once hated so much. Life was an irony. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and shifted out of bed, keeping the large blanket wrapped around herself as she put her clothes back on.

While she was pulling her jacket over her thin great sweatshirt, something suddenly fell out of her clothes that Alexis hadn't noticed before. It was a triangular shaped package and Alexis bent down to pick it up with a curios expression. She turned it around several times in her hands before discovering that it was a package from Fred and George Weasley, a prototype of a portable swamp they've been working on. According to George, it still was far from finished.

Marrick stirred awake in the bed beside her and she sat down, a familiar mischievous smirk appearing on her face as she examined the package more closely. Stretching and yawning, Marrick rubbed his eyes several times. He smiled at her, and held her, feeling like he was holding the world in his arms.

"Good morning," he smiled.

"Morning to you," she replied merrily.

It took him a moment until he finally saw what was in her hands. "Um…what is that?"

Alexis laughed like chiming bells, her smile bright enough to penetrate the fog. "What are you so worried about?" she asked through her laughter.

"Well when you wake up to your girlfriend holding a package that says 'Portable Swamp First Experiment' right next to you, you'd be worried to!" he replied.

She only laughed even more and shook her head. To assure Marrick that she didn't plan on setting off one of Fred and George's unpredictable inventions in his flat, she set the package down. Alexis stroked his face, feathering him with kisses as she spoke.

"Come now love," she said. "No need to fret over a little bit of mischief," she giggled. "Anyways, I need to get home. See me off?" she smiled and he nodded.

* * *

><p>Well into the morning, the dense layer of fog that had blinded most of London was only beginning to dissolve. The fog was thick and moist, making it uncomfortable to linger for long inside of it. Blindly treading her way through the streets up to her home, Alexis finally arrived at the front door of her flat, a thin layer of moisture cluttered upon her jacket. Ignoring the slightly heavier feeling of her jacket, Alexis unlocked her door as quietly as possible and snuck back in almost like a teenage girl sneaking home after curfew.<p>

Opening the door as quietly as she possibly could, Alexis squeezed herself through the small opening she'd made and entered her living room. Much to her surprise, she wasn't the only one awake and there were people expecting her, different from the other mornings.

Sirius was in the kitchen, cooking. Just looking at him cooking breakfast alone was enough of a surprise for Alexis, albeit a pleasant surprise. She only hoped that he could cook and not burn any of her kitchenware. Another surprise to her was the couple waiting for her on the sofa. Cooped up on the long, grey, L-shaped sofa in her living room, Remus and Tonks laid fast asleep, soft and subtle snores drifting through the room.

"Morning, Padfoot," she said while tip-toeing across her living room.

"Tonks was waiting for you," Sirius spoke up from the kitchen. "And poor Moony was dragged into this cause."

Alexis put a halt to her tip-toeing. "Why was Tonks waiting for me?" she asked.

"Tonks, Remus, and Silvia encountered Moody meeting with Rosier yesterday and realized he actually _was_ betraying them and working for Voldemort," Sirius explained. His voice lacked the usual lightness he usually had—this was too serious a situation. "If I were you, I'd go easy on the I-Told-You-So dance," Sirius joked, lacking the carelessness a joke should have.

Listening to him, Alexis didn't laugh. Instead, she turned back to Remus and Tonks, sighed, and shook her head.

"Lexi, I made you breakfast," Sirius said, washing his hands and grabbing his jacket. "I have to go to work. When you're done, can you wash the dishes in the sink also? Silvia had been here and I made her food but I haven't had a chance to wash her dishes yet."

She looked up and nodded. "Of course," she replied.

"Oh, they also put your locator and necklace-thing back. The necklace looks slightly broken though, just warning you. Don't go screaming and blaming me when you find it."

Alexis rolled her eyes and huffed. "See you later, Padfoot," she called as he went out the door, hopping in a funny way to slip his blazer on.

Once Sirius was gone, Alexis walked over to the dining table where she poured herself a generous glass of firewhiskey, having never gotten over her habit of drinking firewhiskey in the morning. It was her favorite drink. Firewhiskey was her love, her drug. She took a sip of the glass and holding it, began pacing the course of the small dining area and the living room. Pacing, she was wondering how she could get both Tonks and herself over their long fight—she definitely wasn't going to apologize and she doubted Tonks would either.

Treading upon a strange idea, Alexis decided to try it out without thinking about it like she usually would. She walked over to a sleeping Tonks and Remus, taking careful steps to not wake them up. Then, very carefully, she tilted her glass of firewhiskey over Tonks' lips, allowing for several drops of alcohol to drip onto her cousin's bright red lips.

Like any auror taught by Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks woke with a start, her wand in the air and her arms flailing. In her sudden reaction, Tonks had accidentally elbowed Remus in the face, causing him to wake up as well.

"Who's there?" Tonks exclaimed.

Alexis felt terrible but had to suppress a giggle. "I'm sorry Remus," she apologized to Remus who was now wide awake, rubbing his cheekbone. "I did not mean for Tonks to hit you. It was simply collateral damage, you see," Alexis explained.

Realizing what had happened; Tonks huffed and glared at her beloved cousin. Her glares however, no longer held a sense of irritation and a malicious edge like it had before. It was softer now, much warmer, in a joking and teasing kind of way. Tonks shook her head at her cousin and felt her annoyance of Alexis resolved, no apology spoken.

"Remus, I'm so sorry," Alexis said, swishing her firewhiskey around in her glass. "Can I have a word with Tonks, alone?"

Understandingly, Remus smiled and nodded. He helped Tonks get up and as she and Alexis moved to the balcony, Remus stated, "How about I make some tea?"

"Lovely, thank you Remus," Alexis replied, leading Tonks who was still rubbing her sleepy eyes out to the balcony.

"What did you want to talk about?" Tonks asked.

"Sirius told me," Alexis began.

Tonks looked at her cousin, unspoken understanding forming between them. For the next half hour or so, Tonks and Alexis stayed out in the balcony despite the cold weather, talking about what Tonks had discovered about Moody's working with Voldemort. Together, they grew comfortable with each other again and Tonks found it strange how it was almost as if their long disagreement had never happened. Towards the end of their discussion, one question still bothered Tonks' mind and she decided to voice it.

"Why were you so certain that Moody was up to something?" Tonks asked. "It couldn't have been simply because you thought Moody attacked you. Remus and I had been wondering about that the entire night."

Alexis was quiet for a while until she revealed her secret. "I had a source telling me this," she explained. "Ironically, that source was as equally untrustworthy as Moody."

"Who was it?"

"Narcissa Malfoy."

Tonks gawked. "Are you insane?" she asked instantly. "Why were you talking to Narcissa Malfoy?" She'd never known Narcissa Malfoy very closely but ever since Tonks' childhood encounters with the icy woman while out with her mother, Tonks always had the impression that the woman was just like Bellatrix Lestrange: insane, psychotic, homicidal, and evil, despite being her maternal aunt.

"It's hard to explain, really," Alexis replied with difficulty in processing her thoughts.

"Alright, even though you were right about Moody, were you out of your mind to trust in Narcissa Malfoy's words? She could be fooling you into a trap and could have hurt you!"

"I'm not as naïve as most people would think," Alexis reminded Tonks. "And…it's strange…but there's this familial feel I have with Narcissa. I felt that I could trust her…."

Tonks was speechless.

* * *

><p>He'd been having a rather good morning until noon, Sirius thought. Working at the small coffee shop in the middle of muggle London, Sirius felt like he'd finally gotten used to the life there. Often there would be random rushes when many people would come in for coffee. At those busy times, Remus would charm his manager to come out and do all the work while he went on another one of his frequent break. However, unfortunately for Sirius that day, his manager was out sick. And so, to keep himself from snapping and screaming back at the annoying customers coming into the café, Sirius thought of his cousins whom he hoped had resolved their issues already back at their flat.<p>

"A small cappuccino with a separate cup of ice," a customer demanded.

"A what?" Sirius retorted, wondering who in the world drank their cappuccino with a separate cup of ice like that.

Irritably, the customer repeated his order and Sirius grumbled as he stormed to the back of the counter and began making the coffee. There were several impatient customers standing in line, grumbling and beginning to voice their complaints out loud at Sirius who was taking so long. Their constant chatter only served to annoy Sirius even more. He himself began to grumble and roll his eyes at them, wishing he had a job where he had to deal with people less often. Sirius Black wasn't good with people unless they were female with an attractive nature.

Suddenly, as if sensing that he'd need the help, Silvia White came walking in the front door of the coffee shop. She took one look at the long line Sirius had around the counter and shook her head. Immediately, Silvia danced her way through the small crowds of customers and stood behind the counter, happily and patiently taking their orders with a smile. She didn't say anything to Sirius but worked to help him until the line was finished. Surprised by Silvia's speed and amazing ability at keeping a customer happy, Sirius didn't bother to question her help. It was a gift to him—her help—and it was rude to question a gift, he'd always thought.

Once the line was gone and the rush of customers was over with, Sirius could finally manage a break. He huffed and smiled as he leaned back on the coffee counter, looking out at the now empty coffee shop and thanking Merlin that Silvia had suddenly showed up.

"Thanks for that," he said.

"You know, I didn't take a break from my job to do your job for you," she replied.

"I'm sorry but as you saw, I was swamped!" Sirius grinned. "Thank you Silv."

She rolled her eyes. "You're welcome, Padfoot."

"You know, you're a natural at dealing with annoying people," he pointed out. "I was on the verge of hexing each and every one of them until you showed up."

"I see the likes of Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge every day at work. It's a given that I become good at dealing with people I don't like."

Sirius nodded. "True," he replied as he proceeded to fix her up a cup of coffee.

As he did so, Silvia watched him, noticing that there was something strange about Sirius. It wasn't exactly him but rather his mind or the interworking of his heart that she'd noticed was very, very conflicted. Sirius seemed happy or relieved about something, but extremely worried or vexed about something else.

"Here we are," he said, handing her the coffee. "Freshly made, French Vanilla just the way you like it."

Suspiciously eyeing the coffee, Silvia wondered if it was safe to drink. She gulped and took a risk anyways, placing it up to her lips and taking a small sip. The taste wasn't awful, but it wasn't good either. She pulled away and made a contemplative face. "You've improved, Sirius," she smiled. A smile brightened up Sirius' face. Silvia then set the cup down and looked at him, gazing into his haunted, piercing grey eyes. "Something's bothering you," she said.

"How'd you know?" he asked.

"I can see it in your eyes," she replied, smirking. "Something's making you happy. And something's making you sad. What is it?" she asked easily, openly, never beating around the bushes whenever she was speaking with Sirius.

He sighed. "Nothing gets past an auror, does it?" he asked lightly with a small smile on his face. "Well, as you know, Tonks was waiting for Lexi to get home last night. Reckon they've somehow made up already. They're like teenage girls," he laughed softly.

Silvia smiled, leaning on the counter, gazing deeper into him, reading him. "That's what's making you happy. Now…what is making you sad?" she asked softly and genuinely.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Tomorrow is the Blood Moon," he told her. "The October Blood Moon…that…is what is worrying me."

"You're worried about Remus? But I don't get it. He's been looking a lot healthier these days, even the ones approaching the full moon. Tonks is there to help him, and so will we…"

"Yes, but there's just something I fear," Sirius told her. "There's something about the Blood Moon that just…_angers_ him." Sirius sighed. "I told you this before."

"Yes you did," Silvia replied, thinking and wondering about that upcoming moon.

"So you know why I'm worried."

"We'll be able to keep him at bay," Silvia comforted. "We're much stronger now and so is Remus. Even without the wolfsbane potion, it'll be alright."

"It's not just Remus that worries me," Sirius confessed.

"Then what else is?" she questioned.

"Harry," he replied. "He wrote to me several days ago, stating that tomorrow he'd be going for his First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. I didn't want to tell anyone because there was nothing we could do to help him anyways. I tried giving him a spell he could learn for the task but he and Hermione came up with a better way."

"What's Harry facing for his first task?" Silvia asked. The only clue she had up until then was what Tonks had told her from Ludo Bagman. Harry was facing a dangerous creature, but _what_ creature? There were many dangerous creatures in their world. Even some of the ones known to muggles were enough of a challenge.

"You work at the Ministry. I thought you would know."

"No, I didn't hear anything," she confessed.

"Dragons, that's what the boy's facing," Sirius said, his tone heavy and burdened by worry. "Dumbledore can't do anything to help him. Whoever came up with this whole bloody tournament is really a lunatic."

Silvia didn't know what to say to comfort him. Although Harry was only Sirius' godson, he cared so much about the boy that learning Harry would be facing a dragon, Sirius' worry was for all the right reasons. Unknowing of what to say, Silvia simply placed her hand over top of Sirius', comforting and reassuring him the only way she knew how—without unnecessary words and without empty sentences.

* * *

><p>Tonks was just about to head into the Ministry to pick up some reports and speak with Kingsley about her discovery of Moody's ill-intentions when she was distracted by a small conversation with Remus. What started out as a small and simple conversation over who would wash the dishes Alexis and Sirius had left for them after each leaving quickly for work and a meeting respectively, Remus and Tonks were left to wonder. At first, Tonks had tried to convince Remus to clean them for her, until, while stroking her face and fixing the silver necklace he'd gotten her several days ago in an affectionate manner, Remus convinced her that it would be unfair and a lot faster if they did it together.<p>

Giving into Remus' sweet suggestion, Tonks ended up staying back and washing the dishes with him, all while venting to him about her disbelief and irritation over what was going on with Mad-Eye and how she'd never noticed a thing. She hadn't noticed anything up until the second she saw his face in the forest. Even then, she'd convinced herself that there was a hidden motive, a good agenda to what he was doing, but she knew she was only lying to herself. Remus comforted her and their conversation was filled with many sighs.

"Perhaps we should talk to Dumbledore," Remus suggested, rinsing the soap off a plate.

"How?" Tonks replied, drying a white bowl with a wash cloth in her hands. "We have no solid evidence. Even Dumbledore wouldn't believe us."

"No, he wouldn't believe us if we straight out told him that Moody is up to something," Remus admitted. "But maybe he could tell us what Moody has been doing at Hogwarts and we can try to piece the clues together from there."

As they were talking, from her kitchen window Tonks noticed an owl flying swiftly towards them. Quickly drying her hands and opening the window less the owl flew straight into it, she did it just in time for the bird to land haphazardly on her kitchen counter, knocking over several piles of letters, parchments, and a quill.

"Bugger it all," Tonks grumbled. "I'm starting to hate owls," she said while removing a thin tan envelope from the bird's leg.

The brown owl flapped its wings and pushed itself standing on the counter. Without waiting for Tonks to even open the letter, the bird took flight again and launched itself out of her still open kitchen window. For a moment, Tonks watched it go, soaring high into the sky that was still grey but beginning to clear up. She could see the owl fading into the murky, cloudy sky and soon, the bird disappeared entirely.

"Who's it from?" Remus asked, leaning over Tonks' shoulder and reading her letter.

The contents of the letter was brief and to the point, written in a brisk and tiny handwriting. It was from Moody.

_Nymphadora,_  
><em>To answer all your questions, meet me at my house tomorrow in the early afternoon. Don't be late as I won't wait for long.<br>__Moody._

She looked up with a bemused look on her face. Tonks was perplexed, wondering why Moody had suddenly sent her that brief letter and wondering what his intentions were. A part of her wanted to visit him and question him about everything, but a part of her found the whole situation he'd proposed to be rather risky.

"Are you going to go?" Remus asked her softly.

Quiet, Tonks thought about it for a moment. "I need answers," she simply told him.

He nodded, understanding her. It was hard for Tonks to find someone who could understand her but there Remus was, standing right in front of her. "I'll go with you," he said.

"But Remus, the moon…"

"We won't be gone all day," Remus reassured her. "We'll come back before moonrise. Don't think that I'm going to let you go alone after what we've discovered just yesterday," he said in a reminding tone while hovering over her protectively as if they were in the face of danger at the very moment.

Feeling protected, Tonks thought that as long as she had Remus, nothing could hurt her. She nodded firmly and agreed. "Alright," she said. "We'll go in the early afternoon."

* * *

><p>Replies:<p>

RemusTonksFan: Thank you! I'm so happy you're enjoying the story xD And I actually imagine the character without a moustache in my mind for some reason haha, I always think of Remus as being all shaven haha. And Alexis' character being smart is something I like since it helps the story go with her helping Tonks figure things out. As for Sirius' "nip it wolfy" I think that since they're so close and they don't look at lycanthropy as something that should be feared, as friends they'd joke around about it, kind of like how we're comfortable with our own friends. I hope that makes sense haha. Anyways, thank you so much for your continuous support! You don't know how much I appreciate it! xD

Mimi-loves-llamas: Hi! Thank you for reading and giving my stories a chance! And yes, I update on a weekly basis so I hope it's not too fast or overwhelming :] as for Pottermore, I got into Ravenclaw. I think Slytherin is cool too, the Slytherin type characters are fun to write about for me xD Hope you have fun on Pottermore and thank you for reviewing xD


	19. Set Fire to the Third Bar

**Author's Note:**

Hey! Thank you for reading! Sorry I'm so tired this week, I just don't have time to reply to reviews :( I'm so sorry but thank you so much! Please, I thank you for your support. Please keep reading and if you can, please review xD (Shameless advertisement, yes, but honest words all in all xD)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19 – Set Fire to the Third Bar<strong>

She'd only expected to be at work for a few short hours that day. However, when Tonks arrived at the Ministry, she was thrown in disarray at the amount of work taking place there. Everyone was busy—stacked high with pointless paperwork—everyone including her. Tonks had picked up a list of requests and assignments at least an inch thick in her In-Box. Huffing and complaining, Tonks proceeded to work on them—it was her job after all.

By late morning, Tonks was rushing back from the chimney lines in the large and beautiful Atrium with its every-changing blue tiled ceiling and constant bustle of people. Although often distracted and procrastinating, Tonks had managed to get around half of her list of requests done. She was now rushing back up to her office, hoping to finish some more requests before lunch time when she had planned on leaving.

"Tonks!" Someone called her name from the many crowds of people around her. There were too many voices, she wasn't sure if she'd just misheard somebody's conversation or imagined it entirely. "Tonksie!" they called again in a familiar tone.

Appearing in front of her, Tonks found her cousin Alexis. They were now on speaking terms again, having gotten over their last dispute like teenage girls would with pesky little fights. Alexis, raven-haired and darkly beautiful, was completely knackered. She held an armful of papers and files, her clothes marred with ashes from floo travel, and her boney and prominent features made her look rather starved and malnourished.

"Bloody hell Lexi," said Tonks. "I'm guessing your morning didn't go well."

"No, it went fine actually," Alexis replied without any sarcasm, a rarity. "Here are the papers for the Crouch Investigation. There are several sightings of him but I doubt any of them are valid. Oh and that list Remus handed me of when you tried to investigate Rosier, I had Silvia look up on that but with only Lacewing Flies and Antimony as actual ingredients, it's difficult to guess which potion he's trying to make."

Tonks nodded, flipping through the information as her cousin spoke. "And did Kingsley get anything off of Rosier in interrogation?"

"Nothing except for the expected," Alexis replied. "Silvia…forcibly got him to admit that he was involved in Bryce's Murder but he wouldn't give us the details even if we threatened to use the Cruciatus Curse on him."

"The Cruciatus Curse, Lexi that's illegal."

"I said threaten. We didn't actually use it nor did we plan to," she replied hastily.

"And Silvia got him to admit that much?"

Alexis shrugged. "Reckon Sirius had something to do with it."

More understanding came to Tonks. That would explain why Silvia and Sirius had bickered much less and spent much more time together lately. Oddly, Sirius was Silvia's first pillar of support. It was strange but not surprising—Sirius had always been quite supporting.

"Now, are you free after lunch?" Alexis asked. "Can you meet me in my office? I want to go over some things in Crouch's Investigation with you and Silvia."

Immediately, Tonks' face held an apologetic look towards her cousin. "Sorry Lexi," she said, trying to straighten her slightly disheveled bubblegum pink hair as she spoke. "I have to meet with Moody after lunch."

"Moody?" Alexis sounded bemused and slightly worried. "Why are you meeting up with Moody of all people?" she inquired.

She came to an abrupt stop to her walk. "I need answers, Lexi," Tonks replied solemnly.

"Answers to what?" Alexis seemed unable to understand Tonks' troubles. "You already saw that Moody met with Rosier and…"

"You can't just expect me to accept the fact that my own _mentor_, the man I've trusted with my life, had suddenly gone against everything he taught me and joined in with the very people he'd sworn to arrest!" Tonks answered stubbornly.

"I think you're just wasting your time with this one," Alexis said in a softer, mellower voice. "I think you're wasting your time and risking your own safety. If we've established that Moody is no longer the old codger we used to know, then that also means if you keep lingering around him, you're putting yourself in danger of being hurt…or used."

"But _you_ followed Moody yourself and nothing happened," Tonks retorted.

"I had help," Alexis argued.

"I'll have Remus to help me," said Tonks in a short and brisk tone.

For a short while, Alexis didn't speak as they walked. Tonks remained quiet, walking alongside her cousin as they made their way through the busy Atrium, squeezing past crowds and trying to get to the lifts that seemed so far away on the other side of the massive room. At what appeared to be the midpoint of the pathway, a newspaper stand was set at the side, calling out the headlines of that day in an attempt at a selling manner.

"Hang on," said Tonks, her eyes on the piles of The Daily Prophets.

"What?" Alexis said shortly. A deep thought of hers had been rudely interrupted.

"Wait for me while I buy the prophet," said Tonks.

Looking at her pink-haired cousin with a completely perplexed look, Alexis stood anyways. "But you _never_ read the Prophet, Tonks," she said. They had their own subscription of The Daily Prophet, but only Alexis read it and Sirius did the crosswords and read the comics. Otherwise, Tonks never touches it unless there were shocking headlines. Other than anything involving the Triwizard Tournament, Alexis couldn't think of any other surprising headlines that might interest her eccentric cousin.

"I'm starting to buy them," Tonks said. She seemed to have completely forgotten they had a subscription to the paper themselves—one was sitting at home, forgotten on the kitchen counter that very moment. "Remus writes review articles for them promoting books from Flourish and Blotts," she explained.

Alexis had almost forgotten the new job the quiet professor had so subtly announced to them. "Oh, what book is he reviewing?" she asked, interested in how Remus was faring.

"How bloody ironic," said Tonks, reading the long column to the side of the second page. "His first review is _Dangerous Creatures of the 20__th__ Century_."

"At least his new job is flexibly anonymous," Alexis said dryly, continuing towards the lifts with Tonks close behind her, distracted by the Prophet.

It was a bad idea for Tonks to try to walk and read at the same time. Often she'd trip over some invisible force on the ground and plow into her now very cautious and wary cousin. On the cover of The Daily Prophet, Tonks often saw Harry's pictures along with that belonging to the Triwizard Tournament. It had escaped her mind in the past few days but Harry would be starting it soon. She wondered what the date was and why Sirius had never bothered to tell them.

"Be careful with Moody," Alexis said suddenly, breaking off Tonks' thought. She looked up and Tonks noticed that her cousin had led her into the lift and was now getting off herself at level nine of the Ministry of Magic. Tonks caught one brief glance into Alexis' eyes and saw worry in them, however the worry remained unspoken.

Sighing, Tonks stayed back in the lift and waited for it to rise up to level two again. It took a while for the crowded lift to arrive at level two and Tonks stood there waiting, waiting, and waiting. When the lift finally arrived at level two, she'd noticed that it was almost completely empty except for the two other wizard standing in front of her—aurors.

The aurors were talking about someone, a boy in particular. They mentioned Percy Weasley and Tonks recognized that name immediately, belonging to one of Molly and Arthur's sons, the third oldest one younger than Tonks' friends Bill and Charlie—the same one whom to Ron, Fred, and George, was a complete prat. The aurors were talking about Percy's somewhat ostentatious article about portkeys and the unauthorized creation of it. Tonks wondered how someone could sit and read through something like that—how someone could actually write an entire article on such an insipid subject.

Shaking her head and ignoring the two aurors' newly-forming debate, Tonks got out of the lift and returned to her cubicle. Instead of attempting to finish up another large fraction of her work, Tonks sat there in her chair, staring at the wall and wondering, falling into a sudden state of melancholy whenever thinking about her now different mentor. She wondered if it was a good idea going to see Moody and whether—like Alexis said—it would be a complete waste of time and a risk to her safety. Thinking, she ended up wallowing the late morning away.

* * *

><p>It was lunch time and on that particular London afternoon, the sun was up. Basking under it as she walked on the crowded sidewalk, Silvia felt a feeling of renewal—she'd missed the sun dearly when it was away the many days before. Although it wasn't bright, its simple presence was enough uplift for her. She walked quietly down the street, a small, unexplainable smile upon her face. The street was too familiar—it was one she often went on. Like always, two blocks into the long street sat a small local coffee shop with the best but the worst coffee around.<p>

Silvia entered the shop and a small bell chimed above her head as the door opened. She walked inside, the small smile falling from her face when she spotted Sirius, sitting solemnly at a table, his eyes distant and the haunted shadows becoming more and more evident. The kind manager had come to greet her, knowing her as Sirius' unhealthy wife. She smiled cordially to him and waved as she passed him, making her way to Sirius.

"Padfoot, everything alright?" Silvia asked. They've been asking each other that a lot lately. If she wasn't asking him, he was asking her.

Blankly, he nodded.

She sighed and quietly took a seat in front of him. At first she didn't quite know what to say. Sometimes, there were things she wanted to tell him but she'd always become too proud and self-conscious to say them—also her Spanish accent oftentimes made her nervous spurts quite impossible to understand. For a while, she kept quiet.

"Are you worried because of Harry?" she finally asked in a gentle voice.

He nodded. "The first task is this afternoon. He wrote to me this morning. I haven't told Lexi or Tonks or Remus because," he sighed. "What's the point? We can't go there to watch and support him anyways." It seemed that Sirius was now confiding his frustrations upon her. He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his thick wavy black hair. "And the troubles doesn't stop there," he added.

Shifting in her seat, Silvia leaned in to listen more closely.

"Harry's first task is today. The Blood Moon is tonight. And as if it wasn't worrisome enough, Tonks and Remus had agreed to meet with Moody this afternoon."

It was no wonder Sirius looked troubled. Secretly, Silvia knew he was prone to worry and overreact to things—now he had three different problems to worry and overreact about. His godson was competing in a tournament considered dangerous to even grown wizards, his best friend will no doubt go through a rough transformation tonight, and his pink-haired cousin was out risking her safety yet again—Moody was now a threat to them and as a seasoned auror, Silvia saw that as a fact.

Premature lines were beginning to form upon his forehead as Sirius huffed and placed his head in his hands. He appeared to be glaring at a particular spot on the table as if it had offended him while continuing to voice his thoughts to Silvia, one of the very few people he was completely comfortable and admittedly vulnerable around.

"It doesn't make sense though. If Moody asked Remus and Nymphie to meet him at his house this afternoon, it would mean he'd be missing the first task of the tournament…which is something he's not likely to do…"

As he spoke, she played the role of a listener and sat quietly. Only when did Sirius seem to have finished talking entirely did she speak again. "Is there anything I can do to help?" said Silvia softly. She wasn't going to lie and tell him it was all nothing to worry about and she wasn't going to risk making him empty promises by telling him it was all alright.

He shook his head.

For a long time, they sat together in silence. The silence echoed and pounded until Silvia found herself unable to take it any longer. Sirius thought the same thing as well—the silence reminded him too much of Azkaban. Those endless days and nights of worrying and wondering, it was all too much and didn't need repetition. Spontaneously, Sirius got up and took Silvia's hand. His grip wasn't hurting. It was just tight enough for him to lead her into following him. She followed and he took her over to his manager whom looked more himself today.

"Gulliver, my wife's not feeling well," Sirius said in one quick breath.

Finally, Silvia realized that Sirius' manager wasn't that strange nickname he'd came up with (Sir Mimsy de Pumpernickel) but rather his name was Gulliver. She saw that his manager was thinking, wondering if he should let Sirius off easily or not. It was evident that with Sirius so troubled, all the many Confundus Charms placed upon Gulliver was wearing off.

"I don't know—" the portly manager with no neck at all replied slowly.

Her heart skipped a beat when Sirius suddenly picked her up, cradling her close to his chest and looked back defiantly at his manager. Silvia had to fight the urge to scream and pound at him until he let her down.

"She's really not feeling well," Sirius repeated in a firmer voice, his wand out—she could feel it in his hand as he carried her. By the look in his eyes, she was quite sure Sirius would resort to using the Imperius Curse upon the man if he had to. "I need to go."

"Well, she does look very red," he pointed out. Silvia was now aware of the heavy blush upon her cheeks and she inevitably blushed even harder. "Alright," Gulliver sighed and looked to Silvia with warm, caring eyes. "I do hope you feel better," he said kindly.

She could only give him a cordial, apologetic smile before Sirius carried her off. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing and she felt like nothing in his arms. It was a strange feeling that while he was carrying her, even though his eyes were drowning in worries, she still sensed a mutual feeling of bliss and comfort somewhere. Silvia blinked rapidly, trying to detach herself from her thoughts.

"Where are we going?" she asked, wondering if Sirius would ever put her down and secretly hoping he never would.

"We're going to Moody's house to find my stupid friend and equally foolish cousin."

"Do you plan on carrying me all the way there?" Silvia asked in an attempt to lighten the emotions thickly lingering in the air.

"If I have to, then yes," Sirius replied and without a warning, he rounded into an alley and disapparated on the spot, his arms still holding tightly onto her and carrying her as if she weighed no more than a feather in his hold.

* * *

><p>The air in Hampshire was a lot clearer and lighter than it was in London. It was early in the afternoon and after walking out of the small muggle restaurant in which Tonks and Remus had met for lunch, they'd almost forgotten the purpose of their journey there. Something about the weightless air was making them both feel significantly lighter, happier even. It was possibly the effect of being away from the city.<p>

Where Moody lived was in a small neighborhood in Hampshire with stone houses and thatched roofs. They haven't yet gone to his house but as they strolled together down the lovely but empty neighborhood, Remus and Tonks nearly lost themselves there.

It was a good feeling, a wonderful feeling that words cannot properly describe, walking down the street holding hands with one's lover. Many times, Tonks found herself pleasantly wondering what in the world she and Remus—so happily breathing in the fresh air—was doing all the way in Hampshire. She thought about it and then came to a sudden crescendo of fear and troubles as she realized why she was there. They ventured all the way there to meet her old mentor in hopes of finding answers from him. She would grow quiet at that thought. The man she once trusted could be trusted no more. But Remus would change that by the simplicity of his small smile she knew he only put on to cheer her up. It worked every time.

"Do you want to take another walk around this neighborhood?" he asked, uncaring if it was probably their fifth walk around the place.

That time, Tonks shook her head. "We have to talk to him eventually," she said. "Or, I have to. Let's just go to his house."

"If you're unhappy about it then—"

She shook her head and put on a forced smile. "I'm fine," she lied. "Come on love," she called him, standing closer to him. "Let's go before we get lost on this winding road."

He managed a small chuckle and nodded, holding her tighter and more protectively than before. Together, they made a turn to go back the way they came from towards the beginning of where the road started, near a small intersection covered in trees. Remus followed Tonks for she knew where she was going. All those years of auror training had brought her to know exactly the way to get to Mad-Eye Moody's house.

When they got there, Remus took a moment to take in the tranquility of the house. He had expected more of a chaotic mess of a home to suit someone like Mad-Eye Moody, not a serene retreat nestled in farmlands. The house was white, stone, and had a dark brown almost grey thatched roof with wooden windows, looking a century older than the buildings Remus and Tonks had grown used to seeing. It was a lovely little home, an odd thing to be said when he realized he was complementing Mad-Eye Moody's home.

"Here we are," Tonks sighed, taking his hand and leading him forward.

"Are you sure he's inside?"

Without really thinking, Tonks nodded. She led him onto the small wooden porch fenced by a low-rising wall of stone and closed by a small iron gate. As if it was a habit of hers, Tonks walked over and looked into the window where the drawing room appears to be. The look in her eyes glimpsed a sign of hope, like she was hoping to see her old mentor sitting back on his beaten recliner with a book in his hands like any old retired man.

Tonks sighed and simultaneously, Remus tightened his hold on her hand.

"Let's go talk to Moody," she said and went forth to knock on the door.

_Knock. Knock._

There was no answer. Remus could see her roll her eyes and she blew a strand of bright, bubblegum pink hair out of her nose before she held her fist up and rapped on the door again, thrice that time as compared to twice the last.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"He should be expecting us," she said when there was no answer.

"Perhaps we should look around to see if anyone's home," Remus suggested. His suggestion seemed a mix of his careful nature and his Marauder self.

Tonks thought about it for a moment but shrugged. Once again, as if it was a force of habit of hers, Tonks reached for the doorknob instead. Perhaps she thought it would be open. Remus didn't quite know. Maybe back in the days when she was still an auror trainee, Moody would leave his door open for her. Either way, Remus still did not know.

One thing he did know was that when Tonks reached for the dark metal doorknob, something that wasn't supposed to happen happened. They were suddenly pulled, yanked and pried almost. It was as if something, an invisible force, had latched itself onto them, hooking them from somewhere behind the navel, and pulling them to a different location. One brief second and Remus realized what was happening. They'd treaded upon a portkey.

* * *

><p><em>Crack!<em>

If his guess was correct, then Moody's house was still in Hampshire, the same place it had always been since he'd met the man back when the Order of the Phoenix was formed. Sirius and Silvia had disapparated from London and apparated straight to a lonely street right in front of Mad-Eye Moody's home within the blink of an eye. When they arrived there, Sirius was still carrying Silvia in his arms. He'd almost forgotten to put her down because of how light she was and would have kept on carrying her had she not begun to squirm, whether out of awkwardness or out of cordiality he did not know.

Wasting no time at all, Sirius set her down firmly so that she didn't have to stagger for her balance once he let go of her. He then held onto Silvia's hand without thinking about it and ran with her towards Moody's front door of his thatched-roof cottage. They ran together through Moody's large and plain front yard where a white wooden fence separated it from the rest of the world. Coming towards the house, Silvia suddenly held him back from storming right through the wooden front door.

"Wait," she called. "Moody would no doubt have protection charms up, hundreds of them knowing the old man," she explained.

"If he was truly expecting Tonks and Remus as company, they should be down temporarily," Sirius replied, breathless.

They hurried once again towards the front door and when Sirius' eyes fell upon the peculiarity, his worries rose to a tempest within him. Bewildered and confused, Sirius was staring at the wooden front door that was missing the metal doorknob. Something must have happened to it and judging by the looks of the house, no one had been in or out for months.

"What the hell?" he mumbled.

Silvia came closer. "Why would his doorknob be missing and nothing else?"

Like a true auror, Silvia must be thinking of the million possibilities that could have happened. Having always been sharp despite his bleak and dull façade, Sirius came upon one possibility and he wondered if Silvia may have realized it too.

"What could it mean by a simple doorknob turning up mission along with two people who was supposed to be here?" Sirius asked.

"They couldn't have just left," Silvia sighed, knowing Remus and Tonks too well.

Now with even less time to waste, Sirius took Silvia's hand again. She didn't question where they were going that time but he was the one to tell her. "We're going to Hogwarts. We're going to find Moody," he said hastily.

Turning up and disappearing as if they were two brief gusts of wind, Sirius and Silvia vanished once again into thin air, leaving nothing but a thunderous _crack_ and a ripple in their place. Afterwards, the white thatched-roof cottage looked absolutely quiet, peaceful, and undisturbed, like the halcyon home it had been.

* * *

><p>Most unfortunate for Sirius, he'd forgotten that no one could apparated in or out of Hogwarts and was forced to change his course halfway. Luckily he was focused on his destination and it was a miracle he hadn't splinched himself or Silvia. Instead of arriving somewhere inside Hogwarts castle, they arrived outside of it, just several feet beyond the gates lined with stone statues of winged boars like blobs of grey against the newly blue sky.<p>

Sirius, impatient in nature, ran up towards the metal gates and began banging on the iron knocker either Dumbledore or some other headmaster had placed upon the school. By magic, the knocker served as a bell and should, hopefully, alert someone inside. He continued to bang, Silvia standing beside him, while waiting for someone, anyone to come. At that moment, Sirius would have even been glad if Severus Snape came striding out like and overgrown bat.

It wasn't Snape who greeted them but it was someone almost as equally as bad. Sirius glared at the old caretaker, Argus Filch, who was hobbling out towards them, his lips pulled into a permanent scowl as he grumbled some very rude insults towards both him and a quiet Silvia. Filch's footsteps were slow and Sirius was impatient. When Filch opened the gates just barely enough for a person to fit in, Sirius darted in immediately, causing the old caretaker to grumble even louder. Silvia came in after, awkwardly apologizing to the man.

"Sorry," she said quickly and ran off after Sirius. It was a short distance before they reached the whole of the ground. "Sirius! Where exactly are you planning on looking for Moody?" she called after him.

He came to an abrupt stop, his mouth agape as he wheezed and tried to calmly gasp for breath. Silvia caught up beside him, breathing softer as she too seized the chance to refill her arid lungs with sweet, fresh, air. Haunted grey eyes were looking around, darting almost madly around in all directions, searching for sign of anyone. They should have stopped and asked Filch where everyone was.

Restless grey eyes lit up with delight when they spotted a person coming their way, up towards the castle. Silvia's chocolate brown eyes soon spotted them too, a familiar man with a toothbrush moustache and a strict face. He was Barty Crouch Sr., the man she'd been debating whether or not to question for months. Crouch Sr. was coming up from where the Quidditch Pitch had been and quickly, Silvia and Sirius could have guessed some event—The First Task—was taking place there.

"Silv, this way," Sirius called and he once again took her hand and led the way. Sirius always led the way, but Silvia never minded it.

"There's Mad-Eye!" she called, always recognizing that large and burly build, battle-worn face, and crazily spinning magical eye.

"Moody!" Sirius growled.

Moody looked up, slightly surprised but the expression of surprise on his face suddenly vanished. He was expecting something like that to happen. Even though Silvia hadn't gotten as close to him as Tonks had, she'd worked with him long enough to be able to read him like an open book with ridiculously large letters.

"Sirius, Silvia, how'd the two of you get in?" Moody asked in his usual grumble.

"The gates," Silvia replied. "Filch—"

"Never mind that; what did you do with Remus and Tonks?" Sirius asked curtly.

"What in devil's name are you talking about?" Moody replied; his voice scratchier and harsher sounding than it normally did.

Quickly growing frustrated, Sirius could see that Moody was feigning innocence. "I'm asking you where you sent my cousin and best friend!" said Sirius, gripping Moody's collar, uncaring of the scene he was making as more people from the Quidditch Pitch passed by.

Roughly, Moody shook him off, his magical eye whizzing in its socket with a sickly buzz to it. "I don't know what you're talking about, Black. But if you start acting impulsively here, I'll have to take you to Dumbledore," Moody growled in a low voice.

"Take me to Dumbledore," Sirius laughed dryly. "What happened to 'act first explain later'?" he asked, apparently speaking about something Moody once said to him. "Just tell me where you sent them! It's obvious you tricked them into touching that blasted doorknob of yours and they've been sent somewhere by portkey!"

Ignoring the madman, Moody turned and left. A low grumble was escaping his throat. "Calm yourself, Sirius," he called back.

"He's feigning innocence," Sirius growled. "That devil."

"Sirius," Silvia said in a softer, reminding tone. "We're in the middle of Hogwarts."

"Where did Remus and Tonks go?" he asked. Sirius and Silvia both knew too well that Remus and Tonks couldn't have just gotten sidetracked and wandered off somewhere. Moody must have pulled something, causing them to disappear. "The moon is tonight. If they don't make it back…"

"Maybe-maybe Lexi can help," Silvia spoke up, pulling him aside as more students passed by them, several wearing extremely confused faces.

"That's right," said Sirius, slightly smiling. "How do we get to her? Isn't she cooped up in the Department of Mysteries right now?"

"Well I have a meeting with her soon so we could-we could try," said Silvia, truly wondering. There was still an hour left before the meeting she'd scheduled with Alexis. Simply barging into the Department of Mysteries was a foolish thing to do. Not only would she have to blindly get through the Room of Revolving Doors the department had as a safety precaution, who knew where she would end up at if she'd just ventured a guess.

"Let's go," said Sirius, not wanting to lose any more time.

"Sirius," she called again, her hand on his arm and gently pulling him back. "Harry."

"Silvia! Sirius!" Harry called immediately afterwards, running up to them with glee on his face and a smile so bright it made Silvia and Sirius both long to be young again. "What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't come," he beamed.

It was evident that Sirius was trying to hide everything, every worry, every fear from his own godson. A fake smile had spread across his face, distorting the usual charm that he had. With his false smile on, Silvia didn't see him comfortable in it.

"We _couldn't_ come, Harry," he smiled. His smiled was slightly upturned. "However, there'd been a change of plans…unexpected circumstances."

"Can you stay?" Harry asked, looking at both of them and standing close, as if they were a family of three, natural and real in all definitions.

Her chocolate eyes looked at him, noticing the bruises, cuts, and burns he'd gotten from the first task. Harry had just fought a dragon after all and needless to ask, he'd won. Despite his injured and weary face, the expression he had on when he looked at them, his family, giving him a surprise visit, was that of an innocent child's grin.

Sirius sighed and looked up. "A little bit," he said softly, unable to refuse his godson. "We should tell Dumbledore, shouldn't we?" he asked, looking towards Silvia.

She knew he didn't want to waste any more time than they already were. "We'll write him an apology letter later," she said.

Finally, his upturned smile slightly brightened. "How'd you like your dragon, Harry?"

* * *

><p>The sudden change in scenery and location had been so sudden that when the portkey arrived at its destination pulling a very surprised Remus and Tonks along with it, they'd fallen face first onto very hard ground. A dull thud was heard, echoing around them, immediately setting off the realization that they were in a cave or tunnel of some sort. The metal doorknob fell with a clink, lying motionless beside Tonks whom had temporarily cooped up into fetal position, cradling her soon-to-bruise face, him, and arms.<p>

Remus had fallen beside her, bruised by the surprise as well. He'd recovered more quickly however and had scrambled to his knees and crawled over to her. Instantly, his arms were around her shoulders, pulling her to sit up and holding her tightly and protectively. During that brief moment, Tonks wondered how the touch of one man could ease her pain so much—Remus' touch _did_ numb away the bruising pain she felt on several places of her body.

"Nymphadora," he called. "Are you ok?"

Tonks nodded. She bit her lips for a moment, feeling that she should have been used to falling by that age. "I'm fine," she replied and with his help, lifted herself up to her feet. "What happened?" Tonks questioned.

His brilliant, ocean blue eyes fell down towards the doorknob, motionless on the ground. "We've touched a portkey," he explained. Holding Tonks' hand tightly, Remus bent down and picked the doorknob up again in an attempt to return to wherever they had been. "And it appears the portkey is only one way going."

"Can't we disapparate out of this place?" Tonks asked, her eyes beginning to look around. They were in a cave—that was the conclusion Tonks had come to. The floor and walls were dark grey rocks at there was a lightless path ahead of them that seemed to lead into a never ending pit of darkness. Pointed pillars lined the cave's path, ceiling, and floor. It amazed Tonks how they had not fallen upon one of those jagged points and came to meet death.

"I don't think we can disapparate out of here," said Remus with his wand out. While Tonks was taking in her surroundings, Remus had been trying to disapparate them out of there. "There must be a charm upon this place or something similar." He paused to think. "Whoever set this up doesn't want us to escape."

Frustration was creeping up behind her. Tonks' hands balled into fists, her knuckles turning white as she attempted to keep her emotions under control. Moody had set up the meeting with them. Moody had set the portkey that took them to that dank and dismal cave. And Moody had no doubt charmed it so that they cannot escape. Yet, Tonks had been the fool to follow everything through and ensure the success of his scheme. She closed her eyes. Inside her head, Tonks screamed and defenestrated herself for her stupidity.

"Nymphadora," Remus called softly.

"I'm such an idiot," she said in a defeated voice. "He planned all this and I went through with _all_ of it." She huffed.

"Moody knew you too well," Remus said in a gentle voice. "Don't fret," he soothed, stroking her arm and effectively calming her down by placing distracting thoughts into her mind, such as the sweet feeling she had whenever she was around him, anywhere and everywhere.

As an auror, she knew that at that moment, it wasn't a time for self-blame. She could scream at herself and jump out that window later, _after_ she got Remus and herself out of that drafty place. Tonks' emerald eyes looked around. "Where in the world are we?"

"That's a good question," said Remus, beginning to walk into the dark path. He was following a lightly road without fear and she was holding onto him as they went together.

"So we're just going to walk deeper into whatever trap this is?" Tonks asked.

Remus looked around, his neck craning and his eyes searching for details. "Yes," he replied. "We've stood there for five minutes. Nothing came and nothing happened. There seems to be nothing else to do but venture forward." Remus' logic sometimes seemed so simple.

With Remus, Tonks was without fear and so she followed him into the darkness, their fingers intertwined as black consumed them whole. They walked for a while, blinded and often running into pillars that stuck out from the middle of the floor or ceiling.

"Oh for god's sake," Tonks sighed and took out her wand. "_Lumos_."

Beside her, Remus walked with a cheeky, somewhat embarrassed grin. "I almost forgot we had wands," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Looking into his clairvoyant eyes, the light from Tonks' wand reflected his emotions in an ambiguous silhouette. His worry seemed to be hiding in the shadows but it was evidently there and very prominent. He was trying to hide behind a small mask of simplicity in order to cheer her up—she knew. Remus truly was the sweetest man alive.

"Where do you think we'll end up?" Tonks asked, walking with him still. It seemed they were the kind of couple to continue advancing forward anyways even without knowledge of their destination. They were the reckless kind of lovers and what Tonks considered, the most fun.

"I have no idea," said Remus, rounding a rather large and protruding pillar. "For all I know, I could be leading us in circles."

"No, you're leading us forward," said Tonks, looking ahead by the light on the tip of her wand. "I can tell," she assured him with a small smile, attempting to lighten the worrying and foreboding atmosphere as well.

"How do you know?" Remus asked, looking at her with a forlorn look in his eyes even though his lips were smiling. "I could be leading you into a dead end."

She'd been reading him wrong the entire time. The worry he had was definitely greater than a simple figure hiding in the shadows she'd seen in his eyes. The worry was consuming him. Remus, like always, was worried about not just the immediate future but the endless eternity afterwards. He had been speaking about them the entire time as he led her through the cave. Tonks paused for a moment, re-evaluating him.

"I've been leading you into the darkness the entire time," said Remus, sadly.

"Remus now isn't the time…"

"Nymphadora, the Blood Moon is rising in a few very short hours," he told her with a voice much more serious than the mask he'd had on. "You're trapped in this cave with me with no one else to protect you from me. What do you think will happen?" he asked, letting go of her hand gently, almost hesitantly.

Tonks sighed and grabbed her head in frustration. She'd almost forgotten he was a werewolf. She'd almost forgotten that each evening before moonrise, Remus would wander in the depths of his mind—out of habit—and doubt everything he had. She'd almost forgotten he would act like that. It was something about him, his kind and gentle side, which made her forget about the madness within completely.

"This is not a good time to start this Remus," said Tonks in a firmer voice. "We have to get ourselves out of this cave. You said we have a couple of hours left so—"

He interrupted her again. "Mad-Eye wouldn't be such a fool to go through all the troubles of sending us somewhere just for us to find a way out of it," he said, shaking his head. "Nymphadora, stop following me and go back. I'll find you after moonrise."

She was growing angry now. Her pent up anger and irritation with herself, her disappointment and panging sting from Moody's sudden betrayal, mixed in with her frustration with Remus was not a combination she could handle. Defiantly, Tonks stormed forward, taking his hand with a firm grip and quite literally dragged him deeper into the darkness, the light on her wand leading the way.

"We're going," she said in a curt voice. "I don't care what's going through that reminiscent mind of yours right now. We're going."

"Nymphadora," Remus called. In all honesty, he didn't want her to go, but his fears were out ruling all other desires. He could feel the moon rising in a much faster pace. It was coming.

"Bloody hell Remus, come on!" Tonks replied without looking back.

They walked for a while, their fake cheer having turned into silence. Tonks was now leading the way, holding onto Remus' hand with a vice-like grip. She glared at the dark path ahead, wondering where in the world they were headed in to. There was nothing else they could do but walk and so they did.

Suddenly, both Tonks and Remus came to an abrupt stop when they both heard something. It sounded an awful lot like a series of moan, acting in somber harmony together. It sounded like low growling, raspy breathing and the gagged gasping of breath. Something was ahead of them and it felt like trouble.

"What's that?" Tonks asked in a whisper.

"I don't know," Remus replied, still hesitant to stay close to her now. He could feel the moon slowly creeping up on him. He had no watch but just by the feeling alone, he knew that the full moon would be soon to rise. "You go back," he said.

"I'm not going back alone," said Tonks, turning to the direction from which they came from which now also looked like a tunnel of bleak darkness. "Besides, we'd be back right where we started," she added.

Remus looked at her, sapphire blue meeting emerald green, their eyes glistening under the light at the tip of Tonks' wand. "You think we should go forward?" Remus asked.

Tonks shrugged. "It seems better than staying here," she replied.

Without argument, they went forward. Remus and Tonks treaded in the darkness for a little further until they suddenly saw a faint light that seemed very close. Smiles appeared upon their faces once they saw that light. It was the light at the end of the tunnel. Tonks put out the light on the tip of her wand and proceeded with Remus towards the small light that grew bigger and bigger with each step they took.

"We'll get out before the moon," Tonks smiled.

Remus too smiled as he ran with her towards the increasing light.

One step after another, they approached the light. Remus and Tonks' buildup of hope however, had suddenly spiraled downwards once they did reach that light. As if life itself was playing with them, that light showed no escape. Instead, when Remus and Tonks arrived at that light, they'd just entered another room, a much larger room with many pathways into darker tunnels, the whole of it lit up by a luminescent but dreary light floating on top of the ceiling. The worst part was what was inside that large room though.

"Shite," Tonks cursed, staring wide-eyed at the mess she'd foolishly walked in to.

Speechless, Remus and Tonks were staring at a massive swarm of corpse-like creatures, grey and decaying, crawling and squirming around as if they were zombies in search of flesh and food. Actually, Tonks had to say they were. The creatures crawling on the ground were human or had once been. They had a humanly figure with arms, legs, a body, and a head. Their faces were that of death itself. Grey, rotting flesh and skin wrapped over their jagged and oddly bent skeleton. Their eyes held a blackness that bored into the soul with a look darker than dementors.

"What. Are. They?" Tonks asked, terrified.

His eyes were wide with worry. As he stared at the grey, decomposing faces of the dead, he suddenly felt colder and in more gloom than the moon had ever made him feel. Their decayed faces had spotted him and Tonks and starving for flesh, the creatures began moving, crawling and squirming towards them.

"Inferi," Remus gasped.

Tonks' jaw dropped. She'd only read about them in books and never did she ever expect to encounter one. Corpses, dead bodies bewitched to do a dark wizard's bidding, were coming towards her. The dark wizard who'd bewitched these corpses must be the lowest scum of the earth with no heart, no soul, and no remorse. The sad thing was: the dark wizard was none other than the man she'd once trusted, her own mentor.

"Run!" Remus yelled and he held her hand tightly, yanking her back in the dark direction they came from.

As if it hadn't been bad enough they were trapped in a cave with seemingly no way out, inferi were chasing after them. Tonks had thought she'd be safe if she ran fast enough with Remus at her side, but she was wrong. The inferi were crawling, although at a demonically fast pace. Moody didn't just plan on trapping them and letting them die slowly. He really had wanted to kill them by sending them there.

"They're gaining!" Tonks yelled to Remus who kept running while holding onto her.

"They dislike light and heat," he told her. "Spells in such categories will work best against them!" he called in a breathless voice as he ran.

The demonic inferi were coming closer, moaning as they came. Their joints cracked in a sickening manner and their low moans were sad, as if they were crying. A decayed arm had reached for Tonks' foot. She was completely unaware they were that fast and when she looked down, out of panic she tried to kick it off only to trip and tumble several feet back.

Remus was at her side, helping her up at once. "_Incendio_!" Remus called.

The inferi at her foot was suddenly set ablaze. Tonks was horrified by the sight, having never witnessed a live, burning corpse before in her life. However, as an auror she was trained to swallow her fear and keep running, and so she did. She was back up on her feet, Remus helping her as they ran. Following him, she would often glance back and send a fire type spell at the quickly approaching inferi.

She'd set a ring of fire upon them, hoping it would hold them back. The mistake Tonks made however was that she'd turned around to look back. When her eyes fell upon the inferno, she felt a sense of madness, of insanity surge through her. Right before her, she felt like she was witnessing a scene of hell—people burning in unforgiving fiery pits. The inferi were moaning, their moans sounding like muffled cries for help.

"Don't turn around!" Remus called and he pressed her to run faster.

Running, her legs pushing and her lungs gasping, Tonks turned to look at Remus. He had a pained and horrified expression on his face. It appears to be a mirror of hers for he too had no doubt looked though he retained himself much better than she did. They'd seen hell in person and they were burned by it.

Without looking back, Remus threw his arm behind and set forth another explosive inferno as he felt more stubborn and ruthless inferi approaching them. Tonks closed her eyes and pressed to run harder, wishing the inferi were less demonic and slower at crawling or however their joints were grossly twisting for them to move. The vision she had of the grotesque and decaying corpses burning in a raging inferno was powerful. It made all her other problems seem so minute and insignificant. In order to keep herself from stopping and staring at them as her mentality fell apart, Tonks kept repeating a phrase she'd heard from someone at some place she could not remember.

"Do not pity the dead…pity the living." And she repeated it inside her head.

"Dora! Here!" Remus called, suddenly yanking her to the side.

Imbalanced, Tonks went flying into a path that stuck out from the one they'd been running on. Remus casted another ring of fire out towards the inferi and seized the chance to run down that new path, an intersection it seemed. He helped her up again and Tonks ignored the paining bruise upon her knee and ran with him.

They ran in silence, gasping for breath but not saying a word. Several minutes passed and as their lungs were desperately gasping for air and their legs pleading for a break, they finally stopped hearing the moans and sounds of the approaching inferi.

She stopped and looked up at him, green eyes meeting blue.

"Come on," said Remus, taking her hand much more gently now and leading her down that new path. He supported her weight most of the time, but Tonks could feel him growing weaker. Almost as if she was aware like he was, they both knew that the full moon was quickly approaching. Time went by too fast even when they weren't having fun.

A little longer down the path that grew more and more narrow, they entered yet another room, that one slightly smaller than the one containing the inferi but with no other paths in or out and no living dead waiting for them. There, Remus and Tonks doubled over and began gasping for their breaths.

"I'm…going…to…kill him!" Tonks bellowed through gasps, thinking about Moody's intention of tricking them to go there. Inside her head, she'd added the part where she would throw herself out the window afterwards for being the fool that followed his obvious scheme.

Despite what Tonks was saying, Remus seemed not to be listening however. He suddenly fell onto his knees, a dull thud reverberating through the dank and drafty room of the cave. Remus began grunting and he was shaking violently, tremulous as he tried to speak to her. Tonks stared and she knew. The moon was rising faster than before. Transformation was coming.

No thoughts ran through her mind. Tonks simply launched herself at him, sliding to him on the ground and holding tightly onto him. She didn't care if he was a werewolf—she never did. She was going to help him, somehow. He needed her there and protection or not, she was going to stay there. Perhaps she could just summon up several protection charms and hope that it would keep whatever more dangers that cave held out and Remus in.

"Remus, I'm staying," she comforted. "I don't care—"

"RUN!" he roared in a thundering voice she'd never heard him use before.

* * *

><p>To be continued...<p> 


	20. The Tempest Before Dawn

**Author's Note:**

I'm actually surprised I have this chapter done. It's the end of the school year for me and being in 11th grade, I'm swamped with final exams -_- It's summer soon! How are your summer starting out? I hope it's well ^_^ Anyways, thank you all for reading and supporting. Thanks so much! I hope this chapter is ok. I've also been meaning to ask, please answer if you'd like: Who (as in actor or actress) do you picture as Remus and Tonks? For me, it's David Thewlis and Natalia Tena as in the movies because I think they're brilliant, but I know some people picture others. It's just a curious question :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20 – The Tempest Before Dawn<strong>

Sirius had been in that part of the Ministry only once before and it was during his trial taken place before the entire Wizengamot in Courtroom Ten. They'd entered the courtroom through level nine of the Ministry of Magic, a floor where its walls, ceiling, and floor were all obsidian black, so sleek and shiny that it looked like standing water. Their reflections appeared upon it like a mirror, only darker and more ominous.

When Silvia led him out of the lift and down the hall, Sirius noticed they'd passed the staircase that led to the courtroom. They were headed to the Department of Mysteries, possibly placed behind that lone door at the very end of the hallway. The floor echoed with silence and their softest footsteps sounded like crackling thunder. Sirius didn't say a word as they walked despite his increasing worry for his cousin and best friend as the day turned closer to night.

"In here," Silvia said quietly, very aware of the empty silence. She didn't know if Sirius was allowed inside or not, but she didn't have much time to think about it. Remus and Tonks were missing and the October Moon in which Sirius had been dreading was rising fast.

The creaking of the door and the shifting of the gears in the door handle echoed in the dreary silence. When the door opened, Sirius and Silvia stepped into a circular room filled with doors several inches apart from each other, all spinning at a slow pace. They looked around, jaws opened and marveling at which door they should take.

"What the world…?" Sirius began. He wondered how his young cousin Alexis could deal with being an Unspeakable all those years.

"It's the Rotating Room," Silvia explained. "The Unspeakables use it as a precaution against intruders. Only one door will lead us inside and the rest will lead us back out."

"Great," Sirius grumbled. "Just when we have no time to waste."

They stood there for a moment, wondering which door they should take. Deciding not to trifle away any more of their very limited time, Sirius guessed at random and was approaching a door he'd been eyeing for several seconds. He'd only managed to place his hand on the golden doorknob when suddenly, another door, across the room from him, opened. Both Sirius and Silvia's eyes turned towards the opening door, wishing that it was Alexis approaching.

It wasn't Alexis who came but yet another Unspeakable, one they did not recognize. He was a young man with dirty blonde hair, pitch black eyes, and in full definition of a brood. His robes were fashionable but entirely black, apparently the uniform for the Unspeakables.

"Auror White, I'm surprised to see you here so early…and with a visitor," the man spoke in a deep, brooding voice. A small, icy smile appeared on his lips as if out of cordiality.

Sirius heard Silvia sigh. "Page," she greeted.

The man named Page spoke before Silvia could say any more. "Come with me," he said, his smile slightly warmer, but only slightly.

"What about…Mr. Black?" Silvia asked softly as they followed Page through a different door from the one he came out from.

"The Head said to bring everyone in," he replied simply.

Sirius followed, for once in his life struck with an unbreakable silence. He and Silvia followed Page into yet another dark but elegant and beautiful black hallway, lit by an unknown source of light. If he thought the hallway leading to the Rotating Room was quiet, he was so very wrong. This hallway, longer and larger in appearance, was like a room of eeriness and drear. It was so icy cold that Sirius could see his breath leave his lips. He wondered how his cousin could stand it down there.

"Did Alexis send you to get us?" Silvia asked. It seemed that most Unspeakables weren't very talkative people and so Silvia was the one initiating the conversation to kill the dreadful silence the entire place was bounded in.

Page nodded, continuing to lead them further down the hallway, passing many, many doors as they went—doors that looked completely identical with no numbers or sign of content. "We've been alerted of _visitors_…" The way he said _visitors_, to Sirius, sounded like a very nice way of calling them intruders. "And Miss Black had instructed that all visitors be led to her office no matter who they are."

Silvia nodded and silently continued forward. Often, she and Sirius would exchange glances in the deafening silence, but nothing was said. Eventually they reached the very end of the hallway and Page stopped at the last door. He knocked twice and opened the door, allowing them passage inside. Strangely, a feeling of warmth and a comforting light was emitted from the room. With a bemused expression, he entered to see his cousin.

Alexis was bent over her desk with something that looked like a scalpel and a glass compass in her hands. Her wand was placed in her raven black hair, holding up her messy bun while her eyes were hidden behind a pair of complicated eye-loupe with multiple magnifying layers and several other metal special lenses. When she looked up, her dark eyes seemed lost within them—all Sirius could see was the glare from the light of her significantly warmer office.

She smiled; a strange sight amidst such a dreary place. "Thanks Atticus," she spoke to Page. "Um can you handle all the research on the Veil for me?" she added. "Then send those reports to Xander who should have information for you about the entire concept."

Page casted a look towards Silvia and Sirius, a reserved smile still upon his face. The look in his eyes suggested that he was slightly surprised Alexis had allowed Silvia and Sirius to hear things they should not hear, but he showed no evident opposition to it. He simply nodded and backed out of the doorway, proceeding to do what he was asked.

"Right on it," he replied and closed the door behind him.

Sirius was speechless. He'd never seen Alexis at work before and never knew how much respect or rather command she held over her entire department. Atticus Page did as she asked without a single question asked or any signs of laziness. Sirius looked around, almost forgetting his reason in coming there. Her office looked an awful lot like her room with Wizarding equipment, artifacts, scrolls, books, and pages of runes, placed everywhere. It looked as if some ancient library had thrown up, scattering pages of research everywhere.

From behind her desk, Alexis continued to work on the glass compass in her hand, not looking back up to them as she spoke. Other equipment and tools were scattered everywhere on her desk and some even hung from her clothes, as if for convenience. A quill was perched on her left ear and Sirius watched as she set the compass down on the table, holding the scalpel carefully with her lips while scribbling something down hastily on a piece of paper with her left hand and prodding at the compass with a metal rod in her right hand. She worked with both hands, something Sirius never knew she could do. His unexpected visit to her office had provided him with some strange insight about his own cousin whom he thought he knew.

"Um…Lexi…" Sirius began awkwardly. "We have a problem."

"Remus and Tonks are missing," Silvia spoke up, seeming more used to seeing Alexis working than Sirius did. "Tonks said they were meeting with Moody but when we got there, no one was there. The doorknob was missing and Sirius thought they may have been sent somewhere by a portkey, unexpected we guessed. We spoke with Moody at Hogwarts and he feigned innocence…" she paused as if unsure of how to ask for help even though it was Alexis.

"Hang on a minute," Alexis simply replied, seeming uncaring.

Frustrated, Sirius marched up towards his cousin's desk and slammed his fist on the table. "Will you help us or not?" he asked in a voice that shook the small office space. "Remus and Tonks are missing and here you are, probing at some ridiculous instrument!"

Alexis cringed at the sheer volume of his voice but otherwise her hands did not tremble and she continued with her work undisturbed. Sirius huffed, running short on time. "Lexi!"

"Got it," she said, smiling. Alexis straightened herself and took her wand out of her hair, storing it while reading something on the parchment in which she'd been scribbling on. "If I did this right, they should be at some place called Westender's Cave."

Sirius stared. She'd been trying to find Remus and Tonks the entire time.

Upon seeing the look on his face, Alexis chuckled darkly and rolled out a map. She spoke as she and Silvia began looking for a place called Westender's Cave around England. "What?" she asked. "I feared that Remus and Tonks may get into trouble recklessly meeting with Moody so I've been tracking them with my locator. When I lost their location, I tweaked this confounded instrument until it showed me where they are again," she explained. "I tell you, translating codes from Merlin's Sigillum is ridiculously hard."

Wearing a small smile, Sirius shook his head. "Now where's Westender's Cave?" he asked, joining Silvia and Alexis in searching the map that would zoom in and out of the location specified if they tapped that spot with their wand.

* * *

><p>Her eyes were on him, weak and glossy as she watched him tremble and shake violently in the moments before transformation. Watching him, Tonks felt a piercing and incessant ache in her heart—it was paining. Remus was transforming and although she'd seen him transform before, that transformation was the worse yet. He was screaming and crying in pain, his arms and legs bent at odd angles while he was on the floor, howling in the excruciating pain. Remus' face was contorted and twisted, his teeth clenched and his jaw pulled back. He looked about to transform however the painful phase lasted longer than it usually did. Tonks' eyes widened, wondering if Remus was fighting it. Instinctively, she held onto him even tighter.<p>

"Remus, don't fight it," she encouraged him. "Don't fight it," she gasped, shaking.

"Run!" Remus growled, his voice sounding like two people were hollering at the same time. "Run!" he roared, a mixture of the wolf within him seeping through his voice.

She couldn't run. Despite how dangerous it was Tonks couldn't bring herself to simply leave him there. Quivering, Tonks stood up, her mad eyes staring at him, her hands tremulous as she reached for her wand. Stiff, Tonks bit her lips and turned her back to a transforming Remus. She cringed as his cries continued to echo through the large and empty cave room. Trying to focus, Tonks closed her eyes and held both hands up, waving her wand and creating several protection charms, putting as much effort into making them as well as she could. Weary, the protections Tonks had created weren't as powerful as the ones Remus was usually confined within, but it will have to do.

Done, Tonks then turned back around. Remus' transformation had progressed now and his screaming turned into unsteady gasps of breath. He was on all fours, his bone breaking and molding into the shape of a four-legged animal. Tonks bit back her tears as she watched him. She fell to her knees and crawled her way over to him, holding onto him tightly for she didn't know what else to do. Light brown hair sprouted from his skin and the angry gasps turned into howling pain once again.

"Remus!" she cried. "Listen to me! It'll be ok," she comforted, trying to rub his back as he shook. The moon wasn't kind that month—she was angry and more vengeful than ever.

There was a bleak, empty silence when Remus' jaw suddenly lengthened into a snout. His legs grew into hind legs, his hands turned into claws, and his ocean blue eyes turned feral amber. Tonks didn't have enough time to react when the werewolf suddenly took over the man within seconds.

Angry, he growled and threw his arms out. The werewolf stood up and howled a sad and mourning howl, incidentally throwing Tonks roughly to the side. Having not expected such force, Tonks was thrown back, sliding across the floor while her body fell upon small jagged rocks that she knew was cutting through her robes and into her skin. A piercing pain shot up her arm but she ignored it as she stared at a feral and untamed Remus Lupin, werewolf.

Silence.

He looked at her and she looked back at him. Terrified emerald green met feral amber and for the first time in her life, Tonks was exposed to the entire truth of the matter. She was scared. No matter how many times she'd convinced Remus and herself that she didn't care and was fearless, in all honesty, Tonks was not fearless. She was scared, afraid, completely terrified. But she wasn't terrified of him attacking her. She was terrified of what Remus might do once the moon goes down and the sun rose again. She was horrified of losing him…

"Remus," she said softly.

He didn't respond.

Feeling brave, Tonks pushed herself standing. It was that moment that she noticed not only was she trembling in fear and shock, she was also shaking in her own pain. Aching all over and bleeding heavily at her arm, Tonks grew worried. How did feral werewolves react to blood?

"Remus," she called again, her trembling hand rising slightly for him.

His eyes spotted her and his lips suddenly pulled back, revealing two very large, very sharp and lethal rows of sharp fangs. He was growling, his eyes not looking at her but at the blood dripping from her arm. The coppery scent of blood suffocated the air. To Tonks, it made her dizzy but to Remus, it blinded him.

Suddenly, Remus snapped his jaw at her and Tonks let out a squeal as she backed up towards the wall, closing her eyes tightly. As if he could smell her fear, Remus stalked forward, walking on his hind legs while his claws were close to his chest. He was observing her.

Scared but determined to get through that night, Tonks opened her eyes again and looked at him. Constantly, she reminded herself that he hadn't attacked her yet and she was fortunate for that. "Remus, it's me."

Feeling like she was hallucinating, Tonks could see a shift in his feral amber eyes. Something was going through his mind, something that was more of a human thought than an animalistic one—at least that was what Tonks was hoping for.

He didn't move and she seized the opportunity to reach for him. Carefully, Tonks reached her uninjured hand up towards the side of his face. Again, as expected, he growled and snapped his jaw but he didn't attack. He was thinking hard about who she was. Moving fast, Tonks placed her hand on the side of his face, feeling his burning heat emit from his skin and fur.

"Remus, it's alright," she comforted.

Inside, Tonks was trembling and shaking, but she kept herself strong and stubbornly continued to convince herself that she did not care and that she was unafraid. Her constant persuasions seem to be working as she'd managed to keep herself calm…somewhat.

For a while, Tonks stood there, frozen. Her hand was still upon his cheek, resting on the side of his face and burning up in the blistering heat. Remus suddenly moved, shaking his head vigorously and turning away from her. He took a few steps back and hunched over, placing his forepaws on the ground, his eyes still upon her.

Bemused, Tonks stood motionless. She was trying to read him but somehow, it was so much harder to read him during that night than any other. Tonks had no idea what he was doing or planned to do.

"Remus," Tonks called. Her voice was much calmer now but she was still tense.

He seemed to not have heard her and continued doing what he was about to do. Remus moved closer to her, his snout up and his eyes traveling around her body. It took Tonks a moment to realize what was going on. He was sniffing her.

Oddly, a smile appeared on her face. She cradled her injured arm close to her chest, trying not to faint from the dizzying scent of blood. "You're sniffing me," she sighed.

It was fleeting but for a moment, things seemed calm and under control.

The next moment, Tonks never saw coming. A loud explosion suddenly shook the cave and the blast from whatever spell it was ricocheted off the walls, causing both Tonks and Remus to fall backwards, pressed against the stone. She was blinded by bright white lights for a fleeting second and then the next she heard a dangerous and angry growl sound from beside her.

Madness took over and all she could hear for a while was the sound of Remus' thundering roar, the slashing of claws, and the bangs of spells being fired. When Tonks regained grip on reality and realized what was going on again, she could see three people standing in the room with her and Remus, their wands out, wary and alert. Her eyes widened as she looked up and painfully pushed herself off the ground.

"Sirius! Silvia! Lexi!" Tonks called, looking at her possible rescuers.

"The explosion angered him," Sirius spoke, his eyes remaining on Remus who looked ready to attack them.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Tonks cried, running towards Remus.

Blinded by anger, Remus' prior gentleness towards Tonks had vanished and he now looked at her, considering her an enemy like he did with Sirius, Alexis, and Silvia. When Tonks placed her hand on him, as if by instinct Remus reacted violently and pushed her off. One swing of his arm and he'd sent her flying across the room once again. Tonks slid across the ground and came to an abrupt stop when her frail body collided against the wall with a loud thud.

"Tonks!" someone called.

Spots were forming in her vision and Tonks struggled to get up. She knew she wasn't succeeding but she didn't stop trying to get back up to her feet. A hand suddenly lifted her up and she looked to her right to see Sirius holding her, his grey eyes still on Remus, his wand up and his face wearing a conflicted look.

"He's fine as long as you don't attack him…"

The last part of Tonks' sentence was cut off when Sirius suddenly dodged and pulled her along with him. They'd narrowly avoided a slashing from Remus' claw and a vicious snapping of his bone-crunching jaw.

"He won't hurt who he considers his mate," Sirius explained breathlessly as he set Tonks down beside Alexis and Silvia. "But he'll hurt us and if you get in the way, you'll get hurt too."

"What do we do?" Tonks questioned, very aware of her injuries now.

"We have to knock him out," Silvia said, glancing towards Sirius who nodded.

"Don't hurt him," Tonks reminded them.

"Stunners won't work well against him," Sirius announced as he and Alexis jumped out of the way of Remus who'd jumped and tried to grab them with his jaws.

Tired, Tonks didn't feel like talking anymore. She was completely worn out as she stood helplessly to the side, flailing like a rag doll as Silvia pulled her out of the way of an attacking Remus. Tonks didn't know how else they would knock Remus out without hurting him if she could not use stunners. She was too worn, she couldn't even think straight.

"Lightning," she suddenly heard her cousin Alexis say.

"What?" Tonks asked faintly, her voice weak and hoarse.

It appears Alexis had heard her though. "A brief strike of lightning will knock him out and stun him but won't cause fatal damage to him if the strength is low enough," she explained quickly, falling to her knees with a crack.

Tonks' eyes widened momentarily, wondering if her cousin had broken a bone.

"How the hell do we get lightning?" Sirius asked, his voice growing more distant as Tonks' eyes rolled and the room began spinning around her.

From out of nowhere, a flash of vivid blue lightning suddenly lit up her vision. She could hear the electrical discharge and the crack that it caused like striking thunder. The lightning had hit its mark. Who conjured it Tonks did not know. She didn't know what had happened afterwards for she soon fell weak and dropped to her knees, her eyes rolling to the back of her head and her world drowning itself in pitch black.

* * *

><p>It had been a long night and still, the morning sun was not soon to come. Sirius was tired and his eyelids were growing heavier and heavier by the second. He was ready to simply fall upon the soft, carpeted floor of his cousin's bedroom and fall asleep, but he was stuck dragging his best friend, still in werewolf form, into the room. As he did so, Sirius rolled his eyes and wondered how in the world he ended up in such a life.<p>

Remus Lupin, his werewolf best friend, was unconscious and Sirius was locking him in his cousin's bedroom until morning. His colorfully reckless cousin was outside lying on their sofa, perhaps still unconscious as well with a battered body and possibly a broken arm. Sirius himself was tired and in the presence of his ex-flame whom he once held very strong feelings for, and yet they were acting as if nothing had happened. He shook his head, tired of putting up a strong façade. He was just a man, a tired, broken man whom had just gotten his life back.

"Sirius," Silvia called his name.

"Yeah?" he asked, dragging Remus' heavy werewolf form into the center of the room. He grunted as he did so and though Silvia tried to help, Sirius was too concerned with her accidentally hurting herself that he gently pushed her away.

"You're tired. Let me put up the protection spells."

"I got it," he replied, taking deep breaths. "These spells aren't very strong, but it'll hold him in if he wakes up and give us enough time to figure out what to do," said Sirius as he backed out of the room and into the dark hallway with Silvia.

Together, he and Silvia began casting many protection spells upon Tonks' room, keeping Remus within and hopefully asleep until dawn. Once they were done, both Sirius and Silvia were breathless. Although tired, they realized they must stay awake to keep the spells up strong; otherwise, it would fade by morning.

Sirius sighed. "How come normal protection spells like _Protego Maxima_ don't work against him?" he asked, gesturing to the now closed door of Tonks' bedroom.

"He's much too close and we don't want to hurt him. Normal protection spells, like the ones you place around an area to keep it safe, will hurt you or do something to you if you collide against it. This…we're simply putting a barrier between us and Remus. That's why it's different," Silvia explained, leaning on the wall, looking at him.

In the darkness, he could see her chocolate brown eyes, gazing into him, waiting for him, looking at him with a certain feeling of warmth he could find nowhere else. Sirius swallowed and forced himself to focus on the conversation, not on her. "You're brilliant," he commented.

"Well I _am_ an auror," she replied.

Sirius nodded again and tried to avoid her gentle eyes but failed. He just couldn't bring himself to turn away from them. Growing nervous, Sirius shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers and leaned back on the wall opposite of her, looking at her. What he did seemed to be a mistake because once he did so, Sirius was suddenly reminded of their school days, and how he would watch "the clever Spanish hottie" from across the hall, and genuinely fall in love with her through intoxicating stares.

To pull himself out of his thoughts, Sirius cleared his throat nervously. "Uh…so, where is my shape-shifting cousin, Tonks?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Lexi's taking care of her," Silvia replied. "I think we should just let Tonks rest and not bother her," she added, glancing out towards the living room where Tonks laid.

He sighed. "Remus won't let this moon go easy…" he spoke in a low voice. "…not after he realizes what had happened tonight."

"But he didn't bite or scratch Tonks. He didn't bite anyone."

"He's Remus—noble, idiotic, mindlessly stupid, selfish, prat, Remus. He'll blame himself for this—he always does. He'll blame himself if Tonks trips over her own two feet! Hell, if he could find a good enough excuse, he'd blame himself for all the wrongs of the world!"

"Maybe he won't this time," said Silvia. "Remus has been with Tonks long enough to hopefully realize that not everything is his fault."

Sirius sighed—he'd been doing that a lot that night. "If he could ignore the world and worry about only himself, he wouldn't be Remus Lupin."

"Who knows," Silvia shrugged.

"Who knows…?"

"We'll worry about it when morning comes. We're all too tired for that."

"Yeah, you look completely knackered. Look Silv, sorry for dragging you into all this…"

"Sirius, it's fine," she replied softly.

"I wouldn't have asked you to come but you're the only person other than family I could trust and really rely on," he spoke sincerely.

A smile suddenly appeared on Silvia's face as she looked at him. "I'm…happy," she said. "I'm happy you could trust me."

"I always have," he confessed. "I never did stop."

Her smile slowly faded but the gentle look in her eyes, the look that emanated warmth, did not disappear. "I'm sorry I did once," she said in a low voice. "It was my mistake."

"No, everyone doubted me," he laughed humorlessly, knowing she was talking about the time, the twelve long years where everyone had though he'd been a traitor. "I'm glad it's all over now and that you trust me."

She was lost in his eyes and could only utter a meager word. "Yeah."

Reflecting Silvia, Sirius was quickly getting lost in her eyes, wondering why he hadn't had a good look into them for so long. As he gazed deeper, Sirius suddenly remembered the reason why he hadn't dared look into them for such a long time. If he did, he wouldn't be able to pull back from her and he'd only hurt her more. He'd been in prison and seen the horrors of his life. Now that he was out, he wanted to live again, live and do all the things he'd ever wanted to do. Silvia on the other hand, had lived and had suffered and now wants to settle down. Together, they were too different and wouldn't be able to stay together for long. He didn't want to hurt himself and Silvia, and so pulled back.

Hesitantly, Sirius retreated back and turned away from her alluring eyes. "Um, so what do we do till dawn?" he asked. "We've still got three, four hours till sunrise."

"I don't know…talk?" she replied.

"Talk," he smiled. "I remember I used to find talking so boring."

"Yes but then whenever we didn't talk, you and I would either fight and argue like children or get into intensely emotional and angry snogging sessions…" she paused and looked at him, her mouth agape.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Uh…well…"

"Let's not go there, I understand," she said quickly, easing up the awkwardness.

"Talking's good," Sirius replied. "After twelve years of madness, I've grown to like talking. You-you learn more about people that way—things you could never learn any other way," he said, losing himself in her eyes again.

"Yeah," Silvia replied, backing up into Sirius' room and following him as they sat down on his unmade bed together, hands tensely on their laps as they gazed out the window. "Talk…"

"So, I guess we're both tired, um, let's get some rest. I'll go out and take the other sofa," he spoke quickly, standing up and about to leave her to sleep in his bed while he took the sofa like every time Silvia stayed over.

"But Sirius we can't fall asleep. We have to keep the spells up."

"Oh yes," he replied, wringing his hands. "I suppose we could sit down and just relax."

"Would you keep me company?" Silvia asked. "I always feel strange when I'm in your room alone," she said, smiling shyly.

"Why? It's better than being in my room with me."

"I like company though. I don't like silence."

"Ok," he replied. "Then…we'll talk," he said, smiling and becoming slightly less uncomfortable now. "You haven't finished that story you were telling me about your mother…the last time we talked in my room. You-you sort of fell asleep before you finished," he said, chuckling as Silvia shook her head and began her story again.

* * *

><p>Silence: that was what the world sounded like when the night took over. Alexis sat in her living room, a book in her lap as she leaned back on the smooth leather armchair of hers. Her eyes were on the text of the book however, they were on her cousin, still unconscious and bruised all over. Tonks' hair had gone limp to a mousy brown and whenever it turned that color, Alexis always felt a little less cheerful.<p>

A yawn escaped her breath and she was just about to fall asleep until Tonks suddenly stirred. She shifted on the sofa and groaned quietly as she came face to face with the pains, bruises, and broken arm she had upon her awakening. Alexis shifted and set her book aside to move over to her cousin, helping her sit up.

"You woke up faster than I expected you to," Alexis said softly.

Tonks shook her head and groaned from a mind-splitting headache. "I'm used to this. Mad-Eye's put me through worse in auror training," she replied in a hoarse voice.

Coldness suddenly rippled through her from her head. Tonks looked up and realized Alexis had placed an ice pack upon her head, nursing the large bruise that had formed there from when Tonks had collided against the stone cave wall.

"Why do I feel like I've fallen down all the staircases at Hogwarts?" Tonks asked.

"Do you remember what happened?" Alexis asked.

A few soft groans later, Tonks' eyes widened with realization. "Oh," she said. "The moon's still up," she added quickly, jumping up and moving towards the window. "Where's Remus? Ouch! Bugger?"

Immediately, Alexis was beside Tonks, catching her and helping her stand back up. "Careful there reckless Auror Tonks," she said. "I don't have the patience to treat your bruises again if you fall."

"Thanks," said Tonks, glad for Alexis' help. "Lexi, what happened to you guys?"

"Ah, nothing really," Alexis replied, feigning casualness. "Sirius has a few scratches and bruises and so does Silvia. They're both completely knackered and still trying to keep the barriers up. Reckon they'll be asleep by dawn."

"And what about you? I heard…before someone struck that lightning, I heard you fall and there was a loud crack."

"Oh, my knee does that," Alexis said, chuckling dryly. "It uh, cracks a lot. And I used that lightning in case you're wondering. Don't worry; it wasn't strong enough to hurt him—just a little tingly feeling and enough to put him out, hopefully until dawn."

"Hopefully," Tonks sighed. "Wait, you caused the lightning?"

"Though I'm an Unspeakable, I'm not completely useless in combat," Alexis sighed. "I _did_ pass Defense Against the Dark Arts with full marks. And, again, don't worry. That lightning is nothing—he won't even feel it in the morning," she reassured her with a soft, mellow voice.

"Where _is_ Remus?"

"He's in your room. We've still got hours until moonrise and letting a…"

"Feral werewolf," Tonks filled in for her.

"Yes…a feral werewolf," Alexis sighed. "We can't let him loose on the flat."

"You know it's not Remus right? Well, he is, but…that's not how he really is…"

"I know," Alexis reassured her. "He didn't hurt you, right?"

"Yeah," Tonks nodded. "Yeah."

"How-how did you feel?" Alexis asked in a gentle and comforting voice she didn't use too often yet Tonks had needed throughout her childhood and life.

She grew quiet. Alexis helped her take a seat on the floor beside their window, looking out towards the night skyline of London. "I felt…"

"You can be honest."

Tonks bit her lips. "For a second, just for a second, I was scared," she admitted.

"It's only natural," Alexis comforted.

"No, it's…it's weird. I was scared for a moment, that he would attack me. But then, when he didn't, I grew terrified, utterly terrified…of losing him. Lexi, he'll, he'll go mad if he realized that he'd gone crazy during the transformation. If he sees my arm, he'll blame himself entirely."

"If he sees _you_, he'll blame himself entirely," Alexis responded in a low voice. She moved the ice pack from Tonks' head gently to her left cheek where a large bruise had been there, swelling up and turning purple.

"What do you think Remus will do?"

"I don't know but whatever it is, just know that he doesn't feel any better doing it." Alexis stood up and began pacing, a habit of hers when her thought processes were much too complicated and well beyond her usual cheek-stroking-with-her-index-finger. "Remus loves you…Nymphadora—and I've never been afraid to say it, I just find it utterly annoying with you yelling at me whenever I do," she added quickly when Tonks' face showed an expression of irritation upon the use of her first name. "Look, I really don't know Remus as deep as you and Sirius do. But if he does something, just don't…fall apart like what happened oh so frequently in school. He'll come around."

Tonks nodded. She often wondered how her cousin could understand her conflicting feelings so easily and put it in such an easy way to comprehend when she herself could not fathom it in any way possible.

"What do you think he'll do?" Tonks inquired. "Do you think he'll just freak out or…"

"Nymphadora, I don't have the answers to everything. But whatever Remus will do, just be patient with him."

Reassured, Tonks nodded and calmed down only slightly. She knew Remus too well and once he realized that during his Blood Moon transformation he'd thrown her across the room thrice and attempted to murder—or rather bite—Sirius, Alexis, and Silvia, he would do _something_. What Tonks worried about was what Remus would do. She wondered what he would do in such a situation. On a whim, she hoped that a miracle would happen and Remus would learn not to blame himself and relax about his lycanthropy, but if he did he wouldn't be the Remus Lupin she knew and love.

* * *

><p>Never before had Tonks realize that the hours before dawn were amongst the longest and darkest hours of the world she lived in. It was only four-thirty in the morning. The sun was nowhere near in sight, and Tonks was alone. Alexis had fallen asleep leaning against the window, worn out from a long day. Sirius and Silvia were inside their room, possibly in the world's quietest conversation—dreaming together on the same pillow.<p>

Tonks walked quietly pass Sirius' room. His door was ajar and when she looked inside, she'd found Sirius and Silvia asleep, sharing a pillow while sitting at the foot of the bed. With them asleep, she knew that the barriers placed upon Remus and her room was down. Tonks walked inside, meeting Remus fast asleep, still in the body of his werewolf counterpart.

"Remus," she sighed, sitting down beside him.

Knowing what the morning would feel like, Tonks reached up towards her bed and pulled down the giant blanket, placing it around Remus and herself. She wasn't afraid to get close to him. She wasn't afraid at all. Instead, she was afraid that he'd turn away from her.

"You can't hear me when you're asleep, can you?" she asked.

Remus slept on, his chest moving up and down in a steady pace as he did so.

She smiled and placed her hand on his chest where a deep scar was brutally lashed upon it. "No matter," she said, smiling wistfully. "I want to talk and I feel strange talking to myself."

He stirred slightly in his slumber but did nothing else.

"Remus, you don't know how much I'm dreading the coming of dawn," Tonks confessed. "I mean, knowing you, you might go catatonic if you look at me." She laughed humorlessly, trying to make a joke out of the numbing bruises and pain that constantly rippled through her senses. "How about we get this over with before dawn comes," said Tonks in a voice with fake ease. "If you ask me if it hurts, I will tell you that yes, my arm and my bruises, hell, my entire body hurts. If you think that by leaving me or doing something stupid will make it better, then I will tell you that you're just being a prat and that it won't do anything." Tonks took a breath. "Yes, I'll say that in the morning," she said, as if to herself.

Remus stirred, surprising her slightly with his sudden movement as he shifted his head to the side. He never woke and was still fast asleep.

"But I'm still wondering just what exactly you might do in the morning," Tonks sighed. "Leave me? Propose a break up? Blame yourself and have a panic attack?" Tonks suggested sarcastically. She suddenly laughed—her laugh hollow and humorless. Her emerald eyes were glossy and honest while she looked at him. "I tend to ramble and make everything less serious than it really is, don't I?" she asked him. Her fingertips trailed across the side of his face, stroking him, wondering.

Tonks paused for a moment and her eyes looked out towards her window. She hadn't had the chance to gaze upon the full moon that night, not while everything was happening. Outside, hanging in the darkened sky, was the full moon, the roundest, most perfect circle of light hanging in the sky. The cold icy beams of the moonlight casted a milky glow on the room and the dark silhouetted clouds around it were shifting. Quickly, the pale face of the moon began changing, shifting. It was turning red, gradually shifting into a shade of crimson red. The Blood Moon was lighting up the world in all its glory, the milky glow turning into a blood red tint that casted the world into strange shadows. Tonks' eyes gazed upon the moon, marveling at it.

She wondered what Remus saw whenever he looked at the moon. She wondered if Remus had ever gotten to see the Blood Moon in his life. Looking at it, Tonks sensed a strange sense of conflict within the moon. It held both benevolence and malevolence, depending on how a person looked at it. The moon was a sophisticated beauty with two faces. Gazing upon her crimson face, at that moment Tonks sensed a benevolent feeling. Her emerald green eyes turned towards Remus and she wondered if he was sensing just the opposite feeling from her. She wondered what exactly goes through Remus' mind when the blood moon was up.

The wispy clouds around the moon continued to shift and the crimson orb in the sky grew brighter, illuminating the night sky. Tonks leaned back and stroked Remus' back in a gentle motion as she watched the shifting of the moon. It looked like a planet on fire, a world burning up into flames—the rolling clouds acted like swaying flames and the reddish glow was the heat.

"I just…I just don't want you to go, alright?" Tonks sighed and shifted so that she was able to lie down beside him. She rested her head on her arm, her eyes looking at his sleeping state and the moon outside the window view just behind him. "Just, whatever you do, come back to me, alright?"

* * *

><p>The morning passed by in silence in the apartment behind the burgundy red door in Number 563 Long Street, London. The golden sun crept up, shining brilliantly upon a new day. It was halcyon weather outside and the gentle skies made it seem like the night before had been an absolutely normal and uneventful night. The reddish glare of the Blood Moon had waned and passed, no longer looking like a planet on fire.<p>

Waking up slowly, Remus stirred and turned to his side. A soft moan escaped him as he came to meet the searing pain of his injuries acquired from a rough transformation. He shifted again and lay on his hands, trying to push himself up. The fresh cuts and bruises on his body were more evident and painful than ever. As he got up, his muscles flexed and just that slightest movement alone was enough to cause pain to ripple through him. Another groan escaped him and he finally pushed himself up into a sitting position, his eyes blinking slowly and opening up to reveal two pools of lucid sapphire, gazing out towards the world.

"My god…what have I done?" he asked himself, looking around.

Remus never remembered coming into Tonks' room, but there he was, sitting in the middle of her floor, wrapped up by a blanket and nestled in the warmth of her arms around him. He looked down at her, his blue eyes gentle as he caressed her cheek with his fingertips. Dark circles were visible under her eyes and his eyes widened. He saw the bruises turning purple, the cuts caked with small traces of dried blood, and the sling and bandages her broken arm was in. Immediately, fearing that he would hurt her more, Remus retreated. He pushed himself away from her, staring at her in disbelief.

"What have I done?" he asked himself.

A long time passed while Remus sat there, several feet away from Tonks, staring. All the bruises she had on her, her broken arm and weary state were all because of him. When he first allowed himself to be with her, Remus had always feared that he would hurt her. Over time, Tonks had convinced him that he shouldn't be afraid. But at that moment in time, looking at her, Remus was fearful. If it happened once, there was a chance that it would happen again. He couldn't allow it to happen again, not while he could help it.

In a trance-like state, Remus pushed himself up to his feet and hobbled over to the bed. His bones were still aching and his muscles weak but he could take slow steps without any help. On Tonks' bed, he spotted his clothes, new and fresh ones, laid out for him. His eyes turned sad as he looked at Tonks—she was much too kind. Quietly in the morning air, Remus slipped his clothes on. His wounds pained when he slipped his shirt on and buttoned it up but Remus made no noise. Once done, Remus' eyes returned to Tonks, a sad look still within them.

Carefully, he made his way over to her. Although he was tired and ready to collapse again, Remus could muster enough strength to carry her frail body onto her bed. Tonks wasn't heavy at all. He lifted her and placed her down, resting her head upon her pillow and cradling her broken arm so that she wouldn't hurt it. He tucked a blanket around her and leaned in to place a gentle kiss upon her forehead before getting up and turning away.

In silence, Remus walked over to her desk where piles of reports and paperwork laid still undone. He searched for a moment for a quill and a piece of parchment. When he found it, Remus stood motionless in thought for a while. He was thinking through his words, biting his lips as he did so but keeping a straight face. When he could finally form his thoughts into words, Remus scribbled them down upon the parchment. He laid the paper out on a part of her desk where Tonks would see and then set down the crooked feather quill.

Taking his shabby overcoat and slipping it on as he headed out, Remus planned on leaving. As he left Tonks' room, he glanced back and stole one more look at her. Mentally, Remus apologized a thousand times for putting her through so much trouble. When he left Tonks' room, he passed by Sirius' room, his best friend. Inside, he found Sirius and Silvia asleep at the foot of the bed, sharing a pillow and possibly the same dream. Remus sighed and apologized to them as well. He made his way out towards the living room, finding it strange that it was already so late into the morning and yet there was no noise out there. When he came out, he found Alexis asleep, leaning on her window while her hands covered her right knee. Again, Remus apologized. He then made his way towards the door.

When he was taken there in the middle of the night, it was in silence. Now, when Remus was leaving in the late morning, it was in silence. He walked out, sad and his head hanging low in a state of melancholy. Remus left in silence like a shadow, swept away by the tilt of the sun.

* * *

><p>Morning came and morning went. The dawn had passed and the morning fleeted by without her notice. The day had treaded on into the early afternoon and Tonks would have not woken up had it not been for the loud racket she was hearing outside the door of her bedroom. Lazily, she tossed and turned in her bed, cringing and cursing under her breath when she'd accidentally rolled onto her broken arm. The pain woke her up and she sat up straight, her eyes glaring at the sun outside her window.<p>

"Bugger it all," Tonks groaned and sighed, about ready to get out of her bed as if it was any other day. She suddenly stopped however. Her eyes turned to look around her room while she was morphing her mousy brown hair back to bubblegum pink. Something was missing. "Where's Remus?" she asked herself in a quiet breath.

Tonks pushed herself off her bed hastily and paced her room, looking for any trace of him. Maybe Remus had gone outside to join Sirius and Alexis and possibly Silvia out there for some nosh. Or maybe, Remus had done what Tonks expected him to do and had quietly snuck back to his own flat, feeling terrible after the Blood Moon. Tonks wondered and yet continued to look around, looking for something.

She finally found it, the letter sitting on her messy desk. It was strange how Tonks knew where to look but not what she was looking for. It was a miracle she'd even spotted the letter amongst the chaotic mess that was on her desk. Slowly, Tonks made her way over and picked the letter up. The ink had dried and he'd written it and left a while ago.

Her eyes scanned the paper. She read his words written in his neat and loopy elegant scrawl. She read them once and twice over, her heart beating at an irregular rhythm as she did so. Once Tonks was done reading it a third time, she set it down. Her eyes turned to look out the window, staring at the distant horizon, the skyline where the sky met the ground. Tonks bit her lips and worry sets in.

* * *

><p>Replies:<p>

RemusTonksFan: Thank you! I love how you put "be 'Tonks' and stay" xD I don't know why, I just think of Tonks as being...well, Tonks...haha I make no sense. Sorry, thank you for your constant support! xD

TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish: Thank you and I'm sorry I completely forgot cliffhangers are killers! Especially if the update is delayed but I hope you enjoy this chapter! :) And no it's not strange you find pre-transformation Remus very sexy...admittedly, I do to...xD

SuperWriterToTheRescue: Ah I know cliffhangers kill us fan fiction readers but I couldn't help it, I apologize :/ I hope you like this chapter though and I Siriusly love the puns in Harry Potter xD

Depressed: Hello! Thank you for reading and reviewing! And I'm happy to know you enjoy my writing xD It makes me really happy to know people actually somewhat enjoy what I write. The last part though, I'm quite confused, sorry. Is something not right in my story that offended you? I'm sorry. If you tell me I will look into it right away :]


	21. Weather in the Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

It's finally summer! All I have left in school are three final exams to take xD I hope everyone has an amazing summer vacation. xD Thank you for your constant support and I hope to still have some readers over the summer xD

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><p><strong>Chapter 21 – Weather in the Sunrise<strong>

The weather had gotten significantly colder. Tonks had not noticed this until the harsh and icy wind whipped her dark pink hair at her pale, heart-shaped face and stung her rosy cheeks with a frosty sting. With two incessant worries lingering in her thoughts, the ever-changing conditions of the weather seemed rather meaningless to her. Even if the unkind wind was freezing her over, she did not care about it. Her mind was caught up over other, more pressing, matters—the progression of her case involving Barty Crouch Jr. and by unexpected circumstances, her own mentor, Mad-Eye Moody; and the sudden distance between her and her werewolf lover, Remus Lupin, in their fairy tale romance. Yes, Tonks had much more troublesome matters to worry about than the conditions of the unpredictable weather.

On that cold and eerie day in the beginning of the eleventh month, seemingly the dreariest month in England, Tonks found herself aimlessly roaming the busy streets of Hogsmeade Village. Instead of 'faffing' around in her cramped and cluttered cubicle at work, Tonks had decided to take a stroll. How she ended up in Hogsmeade, she'll never know.

Caught in a silence spell, Tonks wandered the streets like a looming phantom with no destination in mind—her dreary aura and black work robes only added more to her phantom-like appearance. Dark, twinkling emerald eyes wandered window to window, searching for something, something to distract her from her worries.

"It's Hogsmeade weekend," Tonks sighed. She'd only noticed this when she spotted many frolicsome Hogwarts students running by, grins upon their faces. "Moody," she mumbled when she saw a large, rough-looking, battle-worn man clonking down the street from behind the kids. She felt distant from him. No longer did she call him "Mad-Eye", the nickname those close to him referred to him by. She now called him "Moody", the name everyone else called him, friend or foe.

For a moment, she was debating the idea of whether or not she should call out to him and voice her angry thoughts. Before Tonks could come to a decision, Moody had made a turn and headed into The Hog's Head Inn. She decided not to follow him and sighed again.

"No use when there's no evidence," Tonks mumbled to herself, feeling defeated.

Normally, Tonks was not like this. She would have jumped at the first chance to gather evidence and complete her case—it had been dragging on for quite a while. However, when her dear mentor was suddenly involved, Tonks had a yearning to leave the case unsolved, fearing what more she would find out if she did complete it.

She wasn't herself lately. She hadn't been and things had only been getting worse. Tonks sighed and tugged on her black work robes, pulling them tighter around her thinning, bony frame, and proceeded to make her way down the street. Aside from feeling conflicted about her work and her mentor, she was worried about her lover. She wondered where he was; what he was doing; and how he could stand the distance he'd put between them. Remus and Tonks hadn't spoken for days, too many days, ever since the passing of the October Blood Moon.

"Tonks!" Someone happily called her name. It was a girl's voice, a familiar voice.

Tonks looked up, her twinkling eyes immediately spotting Ginny Weasley just several feet ahead of her. Ginny was grinning as she ran towards Tonks, her arms wide open and ready for a hug. Naturally, Tonks forced a smile upon her face and returned Ginny's glee with fake cheer of her own, wearing a mask of happiness despite her ill feeling inside.

"Ginny," she grinned, hugging her. "How've you been?" She asked at arm's distance.

"Brilliant!" the beautiful young girl replied, her flaming red hair shining auburn under the faint sunlight. "What about you? Tonks you look so tired. Work getting hard?" Ginny asked.

She nodded; a small smile still on her lips. "Work's getting stressful," Tonks responded. "Lexi tends to complain a lot; if you've gotten her letters, you'd know."

"I have, she writes to me and Hermione. You need to write more too! I haven't gotten a letter in two weeks!"

Rigidly, Tonks managed a dark chuckle. She suddenly wanted to be alone. Although Tonks loved Ginny like a younger sister, she'd fallen into one of those unexplainable states of drear and gloom that made her simply want to be alone and shun the company of another. Tonks patted Ginny's shoulder and warmly bid her farewell, hiding behind a lame excuse.

"Listen Gin, I'd really love to stay and chat but I have a meeting I really need to go to." She added a nervous laugh, hoping to make her act more believable. "I'll write you soon, promise, alright?"

Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes. "Workaholic Auror Tonks," she said. "See you soon then. And…well, if you don't mind, can you please send me some licorice wands in your letters?" she asked shyly.

Tonks chuckled and nodded. "Of course."

After Ginny left, Tonks suddenly felt alone again. The loneliness echoed around her, making her feel so empty, so lost. She was in a street full of people and yet she felt alone. When company comes to her, she pushes them away. Tonks began to feel frustrated, wondering what she wanted. Torn, she looked up and decided to head home. When her eyes accidentally wandered a little further down the street, her twinkling emeralds met with a set of eyes she hadn't expected to see that day. Twinkling emeralds met with endless sapphires.

"Remus."

There was a small, reserved and humorless smile upon his lips. He took several steps and decreased the distance between them. He seemed so distant—it was strange. "Nymphadora," he greeted her. His voice was mellow and soft and when he spoke her name, despite it being the name she completely abhors, she found herself missing it. She missed the sound of his soft-as-velvet voice and the way it held her and came gently to her ears. "How-how are you?"

"Fine," she lied. She was not fine and when she spotted him, she was suddenly aware of how not-fine she was. "Fine," she repeated.

He nodded. Like him, there was a small and reserved smile upon her lips as well. Looking at him, Tonks hoped on a whim that he was feeling the same way she was inside—at least then she knew that he hadn't forgotten her and it was comfort to her uneasy heart.

"That's wonderful," he said softly, seeming more awkward as each second ticked by.

"What about you?" Tonks asked, hopelessly gazing into his beautiful oceanic eyes.

Like always whenever he was nervous, Remus would bite his lips and rub the back of his neck. "I'm doing well," he said. There was hesitation, Tonks could hear it easily.

For a long time, they stood there, awkwardly in close proximity of each other. It seemed as if they were simply enjoying each other's company, having missed the presence of their lover so, so much. Remus would look at his feet and Tonks would stare at her hands, wringing them. But yet they didn't pull away from each other nor thought of an excuse to walk away.

Unexpectedly, the silence broke. A thought briefly passed through Tonks' mind and having always been rather outspoken, she spoke those words without preamble. "How come we haven't spoken for days?" she asked. She didn't blame him alone or her alone. It was both of their faults, she believed.

He didn't answer immediately. He was thinking his words like always—careful, thoughtful, Remus Lupin. "I-I don't know," he replied.

That was a lie. She knew. "Be straightforward with me," she said softly. "Please."

Another pause, another beat passed. His eyes suddenly trailed to her arm, her injured left arm. Although the bone was mended, the cut still remained and it was wrapped up and hidden beneath her black sleeve, forgotten entirely until he sought it out. Remus suddenly looked pained. He looked at her arm for a while then found her eyes again.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Remus, why are you apologizing?" she asked, sighing.

"I-I never meant to hurt you. Nymphadora, the last moon, I put you in danger and—"

"It wasn't your fault," she cut him off. She could feel it coming, their usual argument whose repetition had become a script she'd memorized. "If it's anyone's fault, it's my own stupidity that got us there. If I hadn't gone to see Moody and walked right into his trap, you wouldn't have had to follow me and be trapped in that cave."

Remus shook his head. "Don't blame yourself, love."

"Then you stop blaming yourself as well."

He paused. "I miss you," he confessed. Like Tonks, his words came without preamble, perhaps a thought that had been lingering in his mind and now had suddenly broken free.

"Why'd you stay away then?" she asked him, brisk as always.

"Nymphadora, I hurt you," he stressed, stroking her uninjured arm as if by force of habit.

"So you decided to leave, not speak to me for days, and give me no explanation except an apology written on a piece of parchment?" she retorted.

Remus sighed. "I'm sorry."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Remus, please stop apologizing."

They looked at each other. They were on the side of the busy street, speaking as if in a normal conversation, drawing no attention from everyone else. They stood beside a street lamp although with its light off. Silence struck them once again and for a long, long time, they did not speak. People passed them by. Neither budged or even made the slightest movement. They were like statues of two lovers.

"Remus, this is stupid," said Tonks.

"I know," he replied quickly. "I'm sorry, I'll go."

"No, what are you doing?" she said quickly, taking his hand and holding him back. "I mean us. Bickering over this, this is completely ridiculous. What happened on the last full moon was unintentional. If I'm not blaming you, then you shouldn't blame yourself."

He nodded.

Silence, again. Tonks stood there and bit her lips. She wanted so badly to ask him to stop putting distance between them. She wanted desperately to ask him to stop pulling himself away and speak to her again, return to their lovey-dovey state before the full moon. But she couldn't open her mouth to say the words. Whether it was pride or an unexplainable stubbornness, Tonks did not know. She just couldn't part her lips and ask him so.

"Nymphadora, I-I must go," he said quickly. In his eyes, there was conflict. He was torn between something and she could see it. It was all in his gentle blue eyes.

An almost inaudible chuckle escaped her breath. It was dark and humorless. She nodded and reluctantly let go of his hand. "See you Remus," she said softly.

"See you soon," he replied, unable to say goodbye or anything near its meaning.

* * *

><p>The day was still young and for many, the climax of their day hadn't even drawn near yet but for one man, the day could not end sooner. Sirius Black sat at the coffee table closest to the window in the small shop where he worked, supposedly on one of his many breaks thanks to his confounded manager. His haunted and piercing grey eyes were staring out the window, fixated upon a scarlet red telephone box that stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the grey buildings surrounding it. Sirius wore a bored expression on his face, occasionally shifting his eyes back to the clock that hung on the wall on the far side of the café. The time was passing by much too slowly for his satisfaction.<p>

Bored, he ran his hand thought his thick, luscious black hair which was set in a fashionable style thanks to his young cousins. Sirius was waiting, waiting, and waiting. He kept staring at the red telephone box, waiting for movement. Silvia would usually leave the Ministry from that telephone box. She would gradually appear, out of sight of muggles, and step out of the scarlet red box. That was how it was every day.

For a while, there was no movement other than the particular passerby; people walking to and fro. Sirius longed for his shift to end—the coffee shop had gotten boring after the usual lunch rush ended. His eyes were still on the red telephone box. For a fleeting moment, Sirius wondered if Silvia might not come that day.

Lately, she'd been drowned in her work, much like his cousin Tonks had been. They've been having no progress on their case whatsoever and are pressured by their superiors constantly. Sirius worried that there was a possibility the workaholic Silvia White that he knew would stay back and work overtime on her case. There was also a possibility that she would be completely knackered and couldn't bring herself to travel to that part of London to visit him. He'd suddenly dawned upon the realization that she might not come that day. After all, who was he to her but a simple friend, often troublesome and bringing her unnecessary problems, adding on to her already heavy load of burdens? Sirius was worried now. He was worried that he might not see her that day—that kind of worry was something Sirius never thought he'd feel.

"Bloody hell, I'm losing my mind," he sighed, appalled by the fact that he was worrying and stressing over such small matters, like a teenage girl. Sirius' eyes widened. "I am _not_ obsessing over whether I'll see her today or not," he told himself. "Merlin's beard, I wasn't like this at Hogwarts…was I?" he was speaking to himself again, a habit he'd formed because of many years in a dismal place like Azkaban prison and many repetitious hours spent at work.

Suddenly, he spotted movement. The inside of the scarlet red telephone booth across the street moved upwards like an elevator, disappearing into thin air. From under it, an identical interior rose. It held a beautiful Spanish woman with a darkly beautiful aura that matched Sirius entirely. Silvia stepped out of the telephone booth, acting as if nothing peculiar had just happened and crossed the street, heading towards his coffee shop.

His eyes lit up but only for a fleeting moment until he reminded himself to put up an uncaring mask. "I don't care," he told himself.

The bell on top of the doorway dinged and Silvia came strolling in, a small smile dancing across her scarlet lips while her eyes held a weary look. She turned to him; her smile brightened. Unknowingly, Sirius' expression glowed and a grin formed upon his face. He danced over to her in a frolicsome way and greeted her happily.

"Silvia! I thought you wouldn't come today!" he spoke in a hearty voice. Sirius was quite aware that he'd completely contradicted his own thoughts—he wasn't supposed to care—but he could not stop himself.

She giggled. It was a soft, angelic giggle that Sirius found oddly soothing. "Why wouldn't I come? It's Hogsmeade weekend and we promised Harry we'd both be there tonight."

"Oh right," Sirius replied, having completely forgotten. He admitted he was a terrible godfather. If James and Lily were still alive, they'd request a change and probably pick Remus.

"Besides, since I'm now apparently your wife, I might as well play out my role as a godmother," she joked, still remembering Sirius' lie to his utterly confused manager that Silvia was his beloved wife with terribly poor health.

"Wife? Oh yes," he chuckled nervously. "Shall we go?"

"Of course," she smiled, walking back out the door with him.

"I'm leaving Gulliver!" Sirius called, waving back to his kind manager behind the counter. Gulliver waved back to them, a bright smile on his face and a dazed look in his eyes.

As they were leaving, Sirius suddenly noticed one peculiarity that had just surfaced that day. He was flustered around Silvia. He'd noticed his blush from his reflection at the door and the cheeky grin on his face. He looked like a lovesick fool!

_Oh no, oh bloody hell no. I am Sirius Black, not some lovesick buffoon!_

* * *

><p>With the aurors making no progress on their case, Alexis was left with nothing to do at her work. Like her cousin Tonks whom she'd seen sneak out of work early that day, Alexis did the very same thing. She'd cleverly asked her oddly quiet but good friend, Atticus Page to cover for her if any Wizengamot officials decided to come by unannounced, and took the rest of the day off for a good, relaxing stroll. Strangely, she found herself in Hogsmeade. It was as if there was a magnetic pull the homely village had that made her always wound up coming there.<p>

Like always, Alexis began wandering the streets, having memorized it down to every detail, major or minor, even in accordance to the time of day. The day was still young. The hour hand on the clock had not even reached three. Alexis walked down Alden Street, a small street that intersected High Street of Hogsmeade. There, she crossed the usual housewife who was out to dump the bucket of dirty laundry water into the sewers. A pattern had been discovered. After the housewife returned inside, a young land lady was out on her storefront, a small coffee shop doing well in business. She was sweeping the front porch. A young boy was running down the street, the same time he did every day the sun was out, a kite in his hands. Alexis looked around. She was feeling quite satisfied that she'd discovered the unsung melody of the village.

Her satisfaction was short lived however. Her wandering eyes had fallen upon the face of a classically handsome young man, briefly gazing into his warm, dusty emerald eyes. She didn't waste time wondering if he'd spotted her or not. She immediately sought a place to hide. It was strange. She felt as if she was back in school again, sneaking out for a day of fun in town and he was out looking to catch her, like it had always been.

Hiding her face in the Daily Prophet from a nearby paper stand, she remained motionless, wondering if he'd passed. Alexis was sure it was him. Never would she mistake those enchanting eyes and that rigidly charming face. Besides, she'd been used to looking out for him whenever sneaking out, a habit developed from years of going to school together.

"Miss, are you going to buy that?" the paper boy asked with a small smile.

"Um, yes, here you go," she replied, handing him one bronze Knut.

She took the paper and continued hiding her face behind it. The bold and moving headlines popped out before her, revealing to her the latest news and conspiracy theories writers of the Daily Prophet had taken against the Ministry and basically everyone else. Her eyes lit up when she saw Harry's name. He was still in the paper, and fortunately, that article wasn't written by Rita Skeeter. It was by Elphias Doge, praising him on his "beautiful performance" in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.

"Finally," she scoffed to herself. "The boy has to face a dragon for some positive news."

"Well the journalist who wrote the article _does_ admire Harry quite deeply."

"I wonder why…" Alexis paused. Someone had been reading over her shoulder and was speaking to her. She turned around; her face inches from his while a bemused expression briefly crossed her eyes. "What the hell?"

Marrick smiled to her. His smile lacked its usual warmth. "Out on a stroll?" he asked.

"What are you doing all the way out here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I should be asking _you_ the same thing," Marrick replied.

"Then yes," she replied with a sense of defiance under her tone. "I _am_ out on a stroll."

"Love, I'm here on business. You?"

"I got bored," she confessed. "And utterly depressed being in my office all day."

"Come now, let's go back before you get yourself in trouble," he sighed.

"I got Atticus to cover for me," Alexis groaned. "There's nothing to be done."

"Don't get Atticus into trouble," Marrick said.

"Honestly love, let go," she huffed. It was easier to get away from him back in school, when she could care less about what he thinks.

"Don't be so childish," he said, still not letting go of her hand.

Forcefully, she wringed her hand out of his grasp. Marrick looked at her and huffed. He knew her too well and persisting to take her back would be a mistake. She was as stubborn as ever and he'd only be wasting his energy.

"You're going to get your friend into trouble if a Wizengamot member comes—"

"Well they're not. Don't worry about it," Alexis retorted, admittedly sounding rather childish. "Marrick, don't make an argument out of this," she said, knowing exactly where their unexpected encounter was leading to.

He sighed again and without another word, disapparated on the spot. After Marrick vanished, Alexis too let out a sigh. Whenever he did that, it was a sign that he was frustrated with her. She wondered how they even got along in the first place, her inability to follow the simplest of rules and his unyielding love of order and discipline was a promise for conflict.

Shaking her head, Alexis was about to continue walking again until she looked up and found another familiar face. It was a strange day in Hogsmeade, full of unexpected and unwanted encounters. Across the street, Alexis saw Narcissa Malfoy. It was Hogsmeade weekend—she was aware of that—and Narcissa was probably visiting her son, Draco. She watched as the elegant and icy woman with platinum blonde hair gracefully walked over to meet her.

"Alexis," Narcissa spoke. Her tone was growing warmer with each encounter.

"Narcissa," Alexis greeted, no longer calling her by the distant title of _Madam Malfoy_.

"Care for a walk?" she asked in a rather soft voice.

Alexis worked to keep her voice sounding casual. "Pleasure," she replied.

Together, the awkward aunt and niece walked down Alden Street. Silence fell upon them for a while until they made a turn into High Street and began talking quietly while taking slow steps down the busy street filled with witches and wizards of all kinds.

"I saw you arguing with that young man earlier," Narcissa spoke. "He works at the Ministry, does he not?"

"Yeah, he's an auror," Alexis replied, feeling extremely awkward. She'd never been close to Narcissa before, at least not in a memory she could recall. Narcissa's tone sounded so much like Andromeda, her caring aunt who would definitely question her on the men in her life. Speaking with Narcissa in such a close way felt strange, but a somewhat good strange.

Narcissa nodded. "He's a pureblood, is he not?"

"He is. But even if he's a muggle-born, I don't see how it affects anything," she smirked.

"Alexis," Narcissa spoke. There was a pause. She seemed to be thinking over her words. "Allow me to be straightforward. We _are_ after all…related. Allow me to care for you."

That moment took Alexis entirely by surprise. She had to rethink Narcissa's words three times over to grasp the full meaning of it. For a brief second, Alexis doubted whether or not she'd heard Narcissa right. It was all very strange to her.

"The war had ended years ago," Narcissa continued speaking. "Our strange and twisted family had been torn by it and…"

"You're alone," She paused and filtered her thoughts. "Sorry, um, this is all very strange," she confessed. "But sorry, I could care less about your obsession with blood purity."

"At least you're being honest. Andromeda always said you and your cousin Nymphadora are both brutally straightforward people," Narcissa chuckled reservedly.

"Andromeda?" Alexis asked. That was yet another surprise. "You've been in contact?"

"Not often," she replied darkly. "But yes, we've spoken…."

Alexis nodded. She'd grown contemplative, wondering what Narcissa's intentions were in getting close to her. Surely there had to be some sort of motive behind everything. Although Sirius had said Narcissa never officially chose a side, she was still a shade of grey. Yet, strangely, people in shades of grey, imperfections, were the ones that Alexis' illogical intuitions found easier to trust. Her logical reasoning always told her to trust her illogical intuitions.

"It'd be wise to speak to Andromeda more," said Alexis. "After all, Aunt Dromeda knows plenty about both me _and_ Tonks. Besides, she's your sister. I'm just your niece."

"You're both family."

Alexis' tone gradually shifted from serious to joking within the span of two simple sentences. "I appreciate your efforts; however, Andromeda is the ticket to a family dinner. She cooks all the food."

There was suddenly a smile across Narcissa's icy lips. She was smiling and it was a warm, radiant smile that completely changed her icy façade. Alexis had to take a second glimpse to make sure it wasn't an extreme muscle spasm.

"Thank you," the woman spoke gratefully. "I'm afraid, I must go now," she sighed, sounding sad towards the end. "I have an appointment to keep."

"Wait," Alexis spoke up. Though she was starting to feel less awkward around Narcissa, she hadn't completely abandoned her belief that there was a motive behind Narcissa's efforts in getting closer to her. "One more question. Do you know anything about Alastor Moody?"

"I'm afraid not," Narcissa sighed. She looked honest until she bit her bottom lip. "My husband, Lucius, might know…or the others."

She didn't need to ask any more questions. When Narcissa said _the others_, she was definitely referring to the Death Eaters, Voldemort's loyal followers that Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr., and so many others were a part of.

"Thanks," Alexis said before bidding her goodbye to her distant aunt.

Narcissa walked off, disappearing into the crowd. Alexis stood and watched; her eyes thoughtful for a long time. She spotted the woman again, surfacing from the crowd and entering the Three Broomsticks Inn with her son at her side, a young boy with a pointed face and platinum blonde hair. Narcissa still looked poised and rigid like any arrogant woman of class would, but Alexis now saw through the mask and noticed her warmth radiating in presence of her son. She was like Andromeda around Tonks. She was a normal woman, a mother.

When she could no longer see Narcissa, Alexis shoved her hands into the pockets of her comfortable khaki white jacket and continued walking again. It had been a strange day for her. She glanced at the clock while passing by a store and noticed it wasn't even four yet. The weather was getting colder but being in the presence of people under the still shining sun was keeping her warm—that and the strange encounter with her distant aunt.

_She knows nothing about Moody,_ Alexis mused. _But Lucius Malfoy might and Tonks might be able to hold a conversation with him. As for Narcissa's attempts on getting closer to family, it's rather hard to believe…but not impossible to believe._ Alexis sighed, unable to sort out her conflicting thoughts. _There's always a motive behind everything. What's hers?_

In midst of her increasingly confusing thoughts, Alexis spotted Fred and George Weasley through the front window of Zonko's Joke Shop, browsing the aisles of the store. She smiled. She needed a distraction from her puzzling thoughts—answers could be found at a later point in time. At that moment, she wanted to relax. Fred and George were perfect distractions. Alexis made a sharp, sudden turn, heading into the good old joke shop.

"Hey Gred, hey Forge," she greeted them.

The twins looked up and upon seeing her face, grinned. Fred had a mischievous look upon his face, the same look Alexis recognized to be an omen of a very cruel prank. George nearly dropped everything he had in his hands, flustered. Fortunately, he did not for it would have been quite a mess to clean up. His cheeks glowed a light tinge of pink.

"Lexi!" they said in unison.

"Fancy seeing you here!" George grinned.

"Especially during work hours too," Fred added, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows in a funny looking sort of way.

Alexis shrugged. "I'm a rebel," she joked.

"In a mischievous mood, Lexi?" George asked.

"Georgie and I have a prank planned for Ginny who's meeting a boy today on a date."

"Care to watch?"

Shaking her head, Alexis smirked and followed them. "You two are such overprotective brothers. Don't even deny it," she said. She needed some normality after a strange talk with Narcissa and at that moment, Fred and George's ridiculous normality would have to do.

* * *

><p>The day was quickly changing into evening. The taunting sun had gone into hiding behind the mass of bluish-grey clouds. Often, it would steal a glimpse of light but then without a warning, it would go into hiding again. The air was getting colder as the evening came. The air was calm and quiet but it was not an eerie calm—it was simply a boring, mundane calmness. There was a sort of mellow feeling, a passive mood floating about in the air where he sat. He was sitting in The Hog's Head Inn, a warm cup of tea in his hands, half-way gone. Although the air was still, he was dreading the silence.<p>

Mellow and insipid days were ones he dreaded the most. It was on those days where Remus' longing for a certain pink-haired auror was made much more evident—if the feeling was a word it would have been underlined, italicized, and bolded over many times. He had no distractions to keep his wallowing mind away from thoughts of her. Even his job as an anonymous reviewer for Flourish and Blotts served no distraction. He'd long gotten ahead of his schedule in the past week of not seeing the eccentric and colorful auror, reading and reviewing one book after another without pause in hopes of occupying his longing mind. Now, with no books left to read and nothing left to do, Remus Lupin was left to blunder in his feeling of guilt, self-blame, and sadness that had remained from the last full moon.

His thoughts were on Nymphadora Tonks. Many times in his head, he would picture her being there with him. Many times he would sigh and force himself to push away the thought. Remus took a drink of his tea. He wouldn't allow himself to hope for Tonks to be close to him again. The last time he'd allowed their closeness, he'd ended up hurting her. Although it wasn't intentional, he felt that no woman should have to fear their lover being a danger to them. Sad, he ran a bony hand through his disheveled fringe. Remus had been convinced by Tonks and others close to him that he was of no harm to them. But after the last moon, he'd blindly dawned upon a brutal realization—Nymphadora was a powerful auror, yes, but she was still only a woman, a woman in love with him, and she was not invincible. His identity as a werewolf may mean nothing to her but on the night of the full moon, his claws and fangs will hurt her.

"Stop it," he grunted to himself.

Again, Remus ran his hands through his hair. He sighed and tried to focus on his tea. It was difficult to do so when his heart's desires were constantly invoked by memories of her love and beauty. He ended up thinking about her smile, the way a smile so easily danced across her full red lips and the many laughter lines bracketing her lips—signs of a beautiful life. Remus shook his head and stared at a spot on the wooden table. He felt it would be unfair and cruel of him to take that beautiful life away from her. He needed to keep his distance from her. But one problem remains unresolved, making it impossible for him to keep away from her with ease. He misses her. He always had been and always will be in love with her, undeniably and irrevocably.

"You want another cup, Remus?" a husky but mellow voice spoke to him.

Remus looked up, grateful for the distraction. He met with Aberforth Dumbledore's bright blue eyes—he looked so much like his distant brother, Albus Dumbledore. Remus smiled and nodded. He'd known Aberforth for a while, having gone to the Hog's Head whenever he needed silence and to be away from the bustling and loud chatter at the Three Broomsticks.

"Actually, can I have a brandy?" Remus asked gently.

"Come up to the counter," Aberforth replied, his voice with equal softness.

With grace, Remus lifted himself up, noticing his height for the first in a long time. He took noiseless footsteps and followed Aberforth over to the front counter near the entrance where there was more light. There, Remus noticed that the street lamps had turned on and evening was soon setting it. It wasn't sunset just yet, but it was nearly there.

"French brandy alright with you?" Aberforth inquired.

Remus nodded silently and took a seat. When Aberforth turned around, Remus' wandering eyes fell upon the large, grizzly man he had incidentally sat down beside. Mad-Eye Moody was right there, his magical eye motionless for once, and he was enjoying a glass of aromatic firewhiskey. Remus wasn't surprised to see Moody in the Hog's Head—Alexis had followed the old auror in there once after all—but he did feel awkward being beside the man and not having a word to say.

Mad-Eye had no doubt noticed him, the shabby man with a young but prematurely aging face and light brown hair. On a whim, Remus suddenly decided to speak with Moody, despite the man having tried to kill him by sending him to a cave full of inferi on the day of the full moon. Remus guessed that Tonks had had no progress on her case. That was possibly the reason why she'd been wandering Hogsmeade at such a strange hour. And so, he decided to see if he could get anything, anything at all off of Mad-Eye while safely in the eyes and earshot of others.

"Hello Alastor," Remus said, making the first move.

"Remus," Moody grunted.

Aberforth had turned around with Remus' drink and he continued to linger around the bar counter, cleaning the surface with a wash cloth and tidying up the place—he remained in earshot of Remus and Moody's conversation the entire time, much to Remus' favor.

Speaking with Moody, Remus had ended up falling into a conversation about their past with him. They spoke about the Original Order of the Phoenix and the strange events circulating around the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord in the last few months. If a stranger spotted them, they seemed like normal friends chatting about the weather. Remus was careful however; he knew not to say too much and chose his words carefully so that Moody was forced to reply if he did not want to stir suspicion from Aberforth who was still discreetly listening.

When the conversation came to an end and Moody had left the pub on an excuse that he needed to return to his grading, Remus had garnered some helpful observations. Moody seemed to only know vague details of the past. When Remus went into a story of what Moody did to Sirius once many years ago as a sort of joke after a meeting, Moody seemed not to remember this event and carefully dodged treading deeper upon the topic. Afterwards, Remus had concluded that there was something off about Moody, something not quite right. He sensed that there was something deceiving about the puzzle—something was missing. It was as if a very important piece of information regarding Moody's sudden loyalty to the Dark Lord had been held back. Perhaps magic was involved.

Continuing from his theory that magic was involved in Moody's sudden loyalty to the Dark Lord, Remus' pensive mind came upon more theories and possibilities. The Confundus Charm could be related to it all, or perhaps the Imperius Curse. Remus was leaning towards the latter; it seemed more likely a curse that Death Eaters and supporters of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would prefer. It made sense. Remus could think of no other logical explanation as to why a just and loyal man like Alastor Moody would suddenly go against all his beliefs and life morals, unless a hostage-situation or the Imperius Curse was involved.

"That's your third glass man," Aberforth suddenly spoke up.

"Pardon?" Remus muttered. He was suddenly aware that throughout his thinking, he'd been unknowingly gesturing for Aberforth to refill his glass and was now on his third.

"Any more and you won't be able to apparate home…unless you have a high tolerance for these vile drinks," the old wizard spoke with a small smile visible behind his thick beard.

"Oh yes, sorry," Remus replied while standing up and pulling out several coins from his pocket. "I'm done, thank you Aberforth."

"Come back again," the old barman spoke, taking the money. "But come back in a more cheerful mood next time," he added, smiling and winking.

"Thank you," Remus nodded, feeling like Aberforth was much more like his brother Albus than he cared to admit.

Walking out onto the streets again, Remus was not surprised that the dull and jejune day was full of excitement and laughter for everyone else besides him. He looked around and every direction he turned to, he'd see people laughing, joking around, and in merry conversations. Once again, a sigh escaped his breath. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers and began walking out, deciding to take a short stroll before apparating home.

His restless eyes could find no peace and continued to look in all directions, wishing that he could feel a little bit of the happy atmosphere course through him. In a sudden instance, blue eyes met green and Remus found himself frozen in his step. He found her again—she hadn't left. Nymphadora Tonks was standing on the other side of the street, her pink hair hanging limp and a stoic expression replacing her usually wide and eager grin. She hadn't seen him, he presumed.

Remus wanted to tell her about what he thought of Mad-Eye after their conversation. He wanted to be of help to her, but yet he couldn't bring himself to even make the slightest movement. He couldn't bring himself to call out to her. It had nothing to do with pride or stubbornness, not really. Remus was simply afraid of getting too close and hurting her, again.

Across the street, Tonks stood for a while. There was a thoughtful gaze in her twinkling dark eyes and she was looking his direction, but she seemed to not have seen him. Rather, she seemed to be looking straight through him, as if he was a ghost. She looked sad and Remus stared at her for a long time, unable to move. Suddenly, Tonks disapparated; she vanished within an instant. She came and went like the wind, leaving a feeling of longing within him after she left. Remus' head was hanging low after she disapparated, his heart chained by longing.

* * *

><p>Her flat in London felt like an oven. When Tonks stepped into the homely landing, she was suddenly engulfed in a dry and torturous wave of heat. Fortunately, as an auror her eyes were trained to spot the root of problems quickly. She turned to the fire burning under their small mantel, big enough for floo calling but not floo traveling. She realized that either she or Sirius had left the fire burning and all the windows closed. Shaking her head, Tonks pulled out her wand and with a simple wave, the fire simmered and died while all the windows in the flat flung open. Another wave of her wand and she'd magically tempted a gust of wind into her home, forcing all the hot air out of the flat, much to her relief.<p>

"Bloody hell," she sighed and dropped down onto her sofa.

Once the impact of the intense heat had left her mind, she returned to the deep and vexing thought she'd had earlier. She'd seen him. From across the street, Tonks had spotted his entrancing blue eyes and fallen deep into them.

She was walking out of Honeydukes—all the candy and sweets in the world could not console her, nothing could, if Remus remains distant from her. She saw him but pretended like she hadn't because it was starting to hurt—the longing in her heart that chained her. It hurt when they'd spoken. He was so close, but yet he remained so distant behind his cordiality and nobleness. When Tonks' gaze upon him began to deepen, she could not stand it any longer. She disapparated, hoping she wouldn't be reminded of her aching feelings inside.

Tonks disapparated home, and there she sat alone, wondering about him. Often she treaded upon memories they've shared and reminded herself that he would come back to her after he sorted out his selfless nature and worries. It was like all other months, only that month, the days Remus spent wallowing about the moon was longer, much longer. But Tonks forced herself to remain positive. The days would pass and they will be close again.

* * *

><p>The sun was down, the street lamps were lit, and the hearty atmosphere inside the Three Broomsticks could not be any warmer. Sirius was sitting with Silvia, Harry, Ron, and Hermione at a small table in the back of the inn, talking the night away and drinking one butterbeer after another. It was a lovely evening, one he hadn't expected from such grey and colorless weather.<p>

Harry and Ron had gotten over their fight after Harry's completion of the first task. Sirius and Silvia eagerly listened as the three kids retold the story of how Harry Potter faced a dragon, a Hungarian Horntail at that, to them. The kids would then go into plenty more stories of their time at Hogwarts and the silly, sometimes mischievous things they've done. Sitting there, Sirius felt like sitting with family. It was strange. Technically, no one there was directly related to him—but he never was one to care about technicalities. Silvia's smile was eternal, her eyes glowing with warmth as she listened to Harry. Sirius often found himself staring.

When came the time for them to bid the kids goodnight and let them return to the castle, Sirius realized he didn't want the night to end. He enjoyed sitting there in the warm inn, talking happily over drinks, uncaring of the cold weather that raged on outside. No matter, time will not stop for them and so he was forced to put an end to what would have been endless conversations. He paid for their drinks with the money he'd earned and gave Harry a tight hug before walking out with him, Silvia, Ron, and Hermione. When they stepped outside, the cold air grazed their faces but did not surprise them. Another wave and another hug and Sirius was seeing Harry and his two best friends tread back up to the beautiful castle sitting on the top of the hill.

Sirius smiled as he marveled at the enchanting ziggurat. It had once been his home. The old castle, its elegant stoned corridors, arched windows, and magical aura, held so many memories. It was a good feeling gazing at it in all its glory. He missed Hogwarts endlessly.

"Ready to head home?" Sirius turned and asked Silvia in a tender voice.

"To my house," she replied with a warm smile while stifling a yawn. "I'm completely knackered and I've to come to work early tomorrow."

"Why do you have to go to work early?" he queried.

"Scrimgeour and now Fudge are both on my arse about my case," she explained. "They just can't seem to understand that the million sightings made of Crouch Jr. are made by paranoid old witches wanting us aurors to check up on their house."

"So I'm guessing no improvements on the case, whatsoever?"

"No," she sighed. "I thought you can tell by the troubled look on Tonks' face each night."

"She always looks troubled," Sirius scoffed.

"You're so mean to your cousin," Silvia smiled, shaking her head.

"It's a right I'm given, being the older cousin and acting in the role of an older brother," he grinned. "Come now love, I'll walk you home."

Silvia raised an eyebrow, surprised by his chivalry. The Sirius Black she knew in school would never, ever offer to walk someone home. "Would you look at that," she said.

"What? Why do you sound so surprised?"

She shook her head and smiled. "You've changed," she commented.

"Glad you noticed," he grinned, taking her hand. "Now off we go before it gets too late and you start blaming me tomorrow when you're tired and yawning."

Smiling, Silvia allowed Sirius to lead the way back home. She lived in a small flat in Hogsmeade, situated on the highest floor of a relatively new building, overlooking the entire town. The walk there from the Three Broomsticks was short, but their pace was slow and it allowed for Silvia to enjoy the moment with a gentle and chivalrous Sirius. He was still holding her hand and she wondered if he'd noticed or not. Secretly, she hoped he wouldn't let go for a long time, growing to like the comfort of having him at her side.

"We're here," she announced softly once they got to the door of her building.

"Would you like me to walk you up to your flat?" he asked.

Again, she raised an eyebrow. "Is there a catch to this?" she questioned. "Sirius, you're acting rather strange," she smiled in good spirits.

"I'm kind of drunk," he laughed.

"Off of butterbeer?" she giggled.

"Possibly, or drunk from that warm, tingling feeling back in the Three Broomsticks," he answered. "It's difficult to explain."

"Ah, so you're drunk off your own happiness," she concluded. Sirius _did_ get to see Harry after all and when the boy was happy, he too was happy. "Because a sober Sirius would _never_ offer to walk me home," she joked.

"I would too!" he retorted. "I'm a Gryffindor—we're _hopelessly_ chivalrous!"

"That's what they all say," she smiled, rolling her eyes.

As they stood there, he'd unknowingly fallen into a conversation with her. It could be considered small talk, but it felt like so much more than that. He could stand there, out in the cold air, and talk to her all night if she would do the same. Sirius felt strange. It was a feeling he could not fathom in any possible way. It was an incomprehensible feeling that he was quite sure he'd never felt before. It was odd, very odd.

"So I guess I should go home now," he said after talking away fifteen more minutes.

"See you tomorrow," she said, her voice sounding like the harmony of many angelic voices. It was beautiful and her Spanish accent added an exotic mix to the sound. Sirius was entranced by it. "Goodnight, Padfoot."

"Goodnight, Silv," he replied. His voice was like satin and he wondered how many times had he said those two words before, _goodnight Silv_.

Gently, Silvia let go of his hand and walked into her apartment building. When the door closed behind her, Sirius still remained standing there. He took backward steps away from the building, slowly. His eyes were still situated on the section of windows at the very top floor of the red brick building, a small smile on his face. Unknowingly, Sirius' grey eyes lit up when the lights in that small section flickered on. The windows curtained by the lights were glowing warm and yellow. He was about to turn around when the curtains of the window on the far right were swept to the side.

Silvia's face was visible. She poked her head out and her eyes fell upon him. There was a smile dancing across her lips, her chocolate-brown eyes twinkling in the moonlight. She leaned on the windowsill and watched him, smiling still but not saying a word. Sirius shrugged and chuckled as he waved to her again. Her smile turned into a grin. She shook her head and waved back at him, her beautiful face radiating warmth under the moonlight. Looking at her, Sirius was in awe by the intoxicating feeling surging through him and the cold air was forgotten.

"Padfoot, go home! It's cold!" she called down to him.

"Close your window then!" he called up, grinning.

"Do you plan on having a conversation with me like this?" she asked.

"Whatever you want, love!" he replied.

She shook her head. "You'll catch a cold! Goodnight, Sirius!"

"Goodnight, Silv!" he called again before she showed him one more smile and closed her window. Silvia didn't open another window but Sirius was still smiling as he turned around and disapparated, heading back home.

_Pop_.

When he arrived in small alley beside his own apartment building, Sirius was still full of smiles. He walked out of the alley in an odd manner, as if he was strutting. It looked like a mixture between a strut and a dance. Sirius made his way into the building and turned into the empty elevator. There, he stood waiting, recapping his entire day inside his mind.

Slowly, his smile faded into a look of sheer bemusement. The events of the day were catching up to him, along with the emotions and the strange happenings. He thought of Silvia and one image after another, Sirius came to one shocking conclusion—shocking to him at least.

_Bloody hell—I think I'm in love_, he mused, a horrified expression appearing on his face.

* * *

><p>His small flat in Surrey echoed with a surreal silence. It was even colder than the air outside—it was very much like ice. When he stepped inside, loneliness and silence consumed him whole. The room was lightless and the depressing feeling of darkness lingered even when he turned on the warm golden lights. Remus closed the creaking old wooden door behind him and leaned on it, staring at his lonely abode. His eyes shifted over to the chimney and immediately, in desperation for some warmth, he started a fire with his wand.<p>

Instead of pointing his wand at the ashes under the chimney, Remus aimed it at the wall. "_Incendio_," he said. Along with the fire-making spell, he mentally added a flame-freezing spell. The small bang came out from his wand and suddenly, a dancing orange light spilled over him. It looked as if the walls of his small, one-room flat were on fire.

Remus sighed. The coldness was quickly leaving him. Standing in the middle of the orange flames, he felt like he was amidst a warm summer breeze. It was a beautiful sight from where he stood. He stepped into the middle of his room, looking around at the illusion of his shabby little home on fire. The dancing flames soothed him and had Remus been more dramatic, he would have deemed himself as a pyromaniac.

The dancing flames continued with their unheard song, swaying one way and another. Remus felt significantly more relaxed watching them go. He reveled in that serenity for a while before continuing his stride and making his way over to the fireless chimney.

"_Incendio_," he said again and a small, truly burning fire started under the mantel.

He sat down, drawing his knees up to his chest and hugging them as he watched the flames surround him. The dancing orange flames flickered back and forth, making his blue eyes appear darker and glowed gentle amber. He waved his wand once and turned off the light bulbs around the room. Now in darkness, Remus was surrounded by gentle flames. The flames turned vermillion and scarlet, swaying back and forth, back and forth. It was surreal and looked very much like a twisted but darkly beautiful dream.

A sudden temptation fell over him in the midst of the flames' unsung songs. He was thinking of Tonks and unable to help himself, found himself longing to speak with her. He wanted to hear her voice. Lost in the flames, Remus did not argue with himself to pull himself back when he reached towards the top of the mantelpiece and grabbed a pinch of floo powder. He threw the glimmering, ash-like powder into the small fire in the chimney and the orange flames turned emerald green. They flickered as he leaned into them.

"Nymphadora Tonks, flat 5A, Number 563 Long Street London."

The flames flickered again and Remus stuck his head inside. He wanted to see her and for that moment, through the floo will have to do. It was one of the few and only times Remus had given into his temptations with no argument whatsoever.

In the silence of the night, Tonks had been sitting on her dark grey sofa, dark eyes staring at the flickering images on the muggle television. She was watching what was supposed to be a comedy. While the fake audience on screen were having the time of their lives, Tonks sat there motionless, a stoic expression on her face. The images continue to flicker and play while the time ticked by slowly.

Suddenly, she was taken by surprise when a fire burst into existence right under her mantel. The fire was in emerald green flames, growing violently but coming to an abrupt stop in growth once Tonks launched herself off her sofa and crawled over to it. She was on all fours on her floor, crawling closer to the fire, an expression of confusion upon her face. The lights in the living room were out and the only thing lighting up her vision were the backlight on the television screen and the now gentle fire.

She leaned in closer and wondered who was trying to contact them over the floo network. Quite unexpectedly, she saw his face appearing from the fire, a floating, ghostly green head amidst the flames. Remus' face was looking up at her, unshaven and haggard. His sapphire blue eyes were tinted green in a color that nearly matched hers. She leaned in closer.

"Remus?"

"Nymphadora," he smiled. He still seemed quite distant, but at least he'd taken the initiative that time and tried talking to her.

"What's going on?" Tonks asked, settling herself on the ground and forgetting about the television that was still playing in the background. She crossed her legs and sat before the fire, leaning in, trying hard not to seem too happy.

"I-I…I wanted to talk to you," he replied.

"About what?" she questioned.

"I don't know…"

She was unable to prevent a smile from appearing on her face. Tonks scooted closer to the fire, falling into comfortable silence with him once again. Simply seeing his face was enough for her, even if it was through an emerald fire. Carefully, Tonks held her hand up to his face and touched his ethereal cheek. She could not physically feel his warm skin over the green fire, but the feeling that enveloped her was equally as close.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"Quite warm," he replied with a small chuckle following.

"Are you still trying to put distance between us?" she questioned.

He didn't respond right away. Instead, she saw him bite his lips through the fire. "Nymphadora, I don't want to hurt you."

"So speaking with me through a green flame is all right?" she retorted.

"I can't really hurt you through this," he admitted lamely.

"You sir, is most definitely a wanker and the most confusing bloke I've ever met!"

"Careful not to wake Sirius or Lexi up," he reminded her.

"Lexi's not home and Sirius had gone mental in his room."

"I still must apologize to them and Silvia for the trouble during the last moon," he sighed.

"You don't have to apologize for every little thing," she said gently.

"I nearly killed them, Nymphadora."

"It's all over with, Remus. Don't worry about it anymore," she sighed. "You're such a deviant prat sometimes."

He appeared to have shrugged over the fire. "I can't help but worry. Nymphadora, you, Sirius, Lexi, and Silvia are…the closest people to me. I can't live with the idea that I'm constantly a danger to all of you," he confessed. There was sadness in his eyes, the same kind of sorrow she saw briefly surface each post-moon morning.

"Remus, what is the point of all this? This is ridiculous. You _know_ that what happened on the last moon was an accident."

"You're still in danger around me."

"I'm an auror. In the future, I can watch myself better."

"You're an auror, a very strong auror, yes, but love, you're not made of stone. Claws and fangs will hurt you."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "At least you have a new excuse this time," she mumbled.

"What happened on the last moon was my fault."

"Don't even go there."

"Nymphadora, I'm sorry. I-I never meant to hurt you."

She parted her lips, about to say something in response but prevented herself. Tonks huffed. "Let's not talk about it," she said, wanting to enjoy the moment.

"I have…a proposition though," he said carefully. The look in his eyes, despite them befalling a greenish tinge, still showed her that his _proposition_ had only came to his mind several seconds ago.

"What is it?" she questioned, wondering what sort of madness Remus was proposing.

"The closer we get, the easier it is for me to hurt you," he began. "And in our relationship, we've gotten so close…so fast…"

"So you're proposing that we slow it down?" Tonks asked wryly. It was either that or he was proposing they end it completely. She couldn't even imagine the latter coming true.

He bit his lips. It was hard for him to say. "Perhaps," he said softly.

Dark eyes turned contemplative, trailing off and staring at the shadows walls. She wondered how they would even begin to follow is proposition and decided to inquire, "And how in the world would we do that?"

"I'm…not quite sure," he answered, looking down. "Just, slow things down until-until I'm certain I can exert _some_ control over myself during the full moons and not hurt you."

When she heard him say those words, Tonks thought it as a proposition she could not turn down. She wanted to be close to Remus again, but she wanted to be with him more. If they were to slow their blindingly intense relationship down, it was something she could live with as long as he doesn't distance himself from her. Pale elbows rested themselves upon the floor as Tonks leaned back, thinking about it. After a while, she finally nodded.

"Alright, slow things down," she agreed.

His lips quivered, threatening a smile.

"So what do we do now?" she asked, somewhat amused that Remus hadn't exactly thought this through. He was acting on instinct and impulse that night, she could tell.

"We…talk…." he proposed.

Red lips parted for her to draw a deep breath. Tonks was mentally walking backwards, convincing herself that going slow was a wonderful idea. As she treaded further and further backwards inside her eccentric mind, Tonks found the idea to be rather beautiful. They could take their time with things, not rush it, and hopefully he won't foolishly try to cut off their closeness again. It seemed like a good idea in theory and they were now trying to make it work in action. Tonks prepared herself, ridding herself of her previous worries about him. She pushed all that worry into the back of her mind and started out as fresh as possible. Her slate was almost blank. Instead of being white, her slate was grey…

"Just speaking with you through the fire is…good enough for now."

He smiled. She hadn't seen him smile in what felt like an eternity.

"I set my flat on fire," he told her in a calm voice.

"What?" she laughed. "What did you do?"

"It was cold when I got home so I used the fire-making spell," he explained.

"And you're not burning—well, you kind of _are_ on fire—but you're not _literally_ roasting?" she asked him.

"I used the flame-freezing charm," he added.

She shook her head. "You should have said that first," she spoke in a tender voice.

"It would have sounded less impressive," he smiled, almost giving into a grin.

"Who are you trying to impress?"

"I don't really know," he replied, his smile a smirk now.

That was the beauty in their imperfect relationship. They could make themselves care not about the rest of the world. That was the few moments of Tonks' relationship with Remus where they "lived for the moment" in its full and truest definition.

Sitting there, Tonks suddenly felt warm again on the inside. The fire was burning so bright—the dancing emerald flames flickered and lit up her face, making her green eyes twinkle and glow like the brightest stars in the night sky. She often stroked his cheek as they spoke. They were simply talking, but that was enough for her. Just a touch through the fire was enough for her. Remus and Tonks fell into many conversations, none of them having an end. The time of wallowing and doubt that followed each moon had finally passed. She drew her knees up to her chest and leaned closer to the fire, eyes glistening with secret relief. Their fireside conversations lingered through the late hours of the night.

* * *

><p>Replies:<p>

RemusTonksFan: David Thewlis is my favorite actor too! Oh my god I was so happy when he played Lupin! xD And thank you! I try hard on their interaction and have been trying to develop the werewolf side of him seeing Tonks as his mate since "Life Like This" xD And I'm glad you like Sirius and Silvia together, I'm trying to develop on them too :) As for Remus' selfless nature, well at least he has a very stubborn Tonks to convince him xD

ajlover: Hello Rachel, if you don't mind me calling you by your name :) Thanks for supporting and yes, Remus does not (personally I don't think he ever will) abandon his selfless prat-ish nature. But that's part of the reason why we love him, or I at least. As for the length of my chapters, I actually tried to make them shorter so that it's not a monster to read but...well that didn't work out...I'm glad you don't mind the length though, thank you. And Lexi, in my opinion...well actually I don't know how to explain her character, I just like writing about her because I can do anything with her, I hope you don't mind reading about her. Thank you so much and I will try to update in less than a week's time now that it's summer xD

SuperWriterToTheRescue: Oh my god, I'm the kind of person who likes to be surprised by what I'm reading and only look at things one line at a time. When I was reading your comment I seriously was nearing a heart attack haha. But thank you so much xD I hope to have your continued support and I'm super happy you enjoy my story. Thank you!


	22. Once Upon a Blue Moon

**Author's Note:**

This chapter may seem odd or not fit with the story but I put it in anyways because I just really wanted to put a chapter about the Blue Moon in, I hope you don't mind. Blame it on all the brilliant Blue Moon fics about Remus and Tonks on this sight. Thank you for your support, thank you so much!

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><p><strong>Chapter 22 – Once Upon a Blue Moon<strong>

She'd been given an unexpected treat on that cloudy late-November morning. The weather was growing extremely cold, to the point where Tonks could see her breath as she exhaled. Like any other day, she'd expected to be trapped in her cluttered and catastrophic cubicle, examining old evidence and inaccurate reports in hopes of making progress on the Crouch Jr. Investigation. What she had not expected was a nice escape from the monotonous office, enjoying a warm drink with her cousin and friend at The Leaky Cauldron.

Alexis, raven-haired and fair-skinned, was downing a glass of firewhiskey. Silvia, exotically beautiful and eloquent in speech and style, was staring blankly at her untouched coffee, caught in a pleasant daydream. Looking at her company, Tonks sighed and stared at her own empty glass of butterbeer. The silence was neither comfortable nor irritating.

"We should probably go back," Tonks spoke up. "Look through all the papers again—see if we've missed something," she suggested.

Dark brown almost black eyes looked up at her. Alexis rested her chin on her hand, staring at Tonks in a somewhat condescending way. "Never would I think _you'd_ be the one to make that suggestion," she said in a gentle but teasing voice.

Her dark twinkling eyes shot a joking glare at her cousin and she snorted a reply. "Twat."

Leaning back, Alexis shrugged. "In all seriousness, we won't get anything done anyways. You, Silvia, and I have looked through those papers a hundred times. Just because we stare at it longer does not mean hidden information will pop out at us."

"We have to do _something_," said Tonks. "We need to find answers to the million questions." Tonks' voice sounded more energetic now. She desperately needed answers to the endless questions that encompassed her mind. "Who was Ian Rosier working for? Why is Moody suddenly in support of Dark Wizards? And the most important question: where the hell is Barty Crouch Jr. and how does he tie in to everything?"

Tonks felt somewhat relieved when she saw her cousin stroke the side of her face. It was a sign that she was thinking and if Tonks learned one thing from all those years knowing Alexis Black, it was when Alexis was thinking, a brilliant plan was soon to come.

"Silv, you're awfully quiet," Alexis suddenly said.

Hopes falling, Tonks had to resist the urge to face palm herself. That was not what Tonks had been looking for. She was hoping the next words that came out of Alexis' mouth were detailed analysis or some sort of brilliant scheme, not another question. Feeling defeated, she decided to keep quiet while Silvia finally spoke up.

"I've been thinking about something," the Spanish auror replied.

By the look on Silvia's face—that invisible but very present smile and that dreamy, glossy look in her dilating eyes—it was proof that whatever Silvia was thinking about, it had absolutely nothing to do with their case.

"About?" Alexis inquired.

"Nothing. It's trivial stuff," she answered quickly.

"You've been zoning out quite often," said Tonks, impressed by her improved deduction and observation skills. "Is something…up?" she wondered. The look on Silvia's face didn't seem troubled. It was rather a pleasant and happy look, very similar to a woman in love. Tonks would know. She had after all, been through and fortunately was still experiencing the same sort of feelings; those irregular heartbeats, that incessant longing, butterflies in the stomach, everything.

"No, don't worry about it," Silvia said, shaking her hand slightly. "Back to the case," she announced. "We need to find a starting point again. After arresting Ian Rosier, we've lost our initial starting point. My suggestion: Moody."

"We can't just talk to Moody," said Tonks. "The last time I tried that, it ended up a disaster! Moody is much too clever to simply interrogate. We won't get any information."

"We don't exactly _have_ to interrogate him," Alexis spoke up. "I'm not sure if this is following auror protocol but we can just skip everything and go right into following him."

"Brilliant," Tonks grinned. "We can use your ghost necklace!"

"Yes, about that…"

"What's wrong with it?" Silvia questioned.

"Since the last time you two used it to follow Rosier…yes I know," she added upon seeing the look of bewilderment on the two aurors' faces. "But that's beside the point. The last time you used it, it must have fallen or collided against something hard because now all the runes and codes are cocked-up. It's broken. I'm repairing it but it won't finish any time soon."

Tonks' eyes widened, realizing she was the one to blame. Guilty, Tonks decided to avoid the matter of who-broke-it entirely. She plastered on a look she'd perfected since school and continued on with the discussion. If Alexis asked, she was to shamelessly deny everything.

"So now we can't follow him," said Silvia in a low, disappointed voice.

"I guess our only option is to try to talk to him and see what we can figure out."

"What are we trying to find out though?" Tonks asked curtly. "Isn't it obvious that Moody cannot be trusted and has turned against us? We need to find evidence that he's working with Dark Wizards and we won't find any solid evidence talking to him."

"We have to talk to him and find a flaw. Tonks, with the foundation of trust Moody had built up over the years, no one, I repeat, _no one_ will believe us even if we _have_ solid evidence."

"Dumbledore might," Silvia cut in.

"Dumbledore will," said Tonks. "He's a reasonable man."

Alexis huffed and leaned back in her chair forcefully. "As long as no one gets hurt for the time being, I could care less what Moody is planning," she grumbled. "We also have Crouch Jr. in the picture with Moody. What is their relation? Why would Moody be willing to even work with Crouch or any Dark Wizard?"

Tonks' thoughts were provoked by Alexis' words. She wondered how she could have forgotten that point entirely. What reason would make stubborn, paranoid, and noble Alastor Moody resort to working with a convicted Death Eater?

"There are a few situations I could think of," Silvia spoke up. "Auror protocol."

"Blackmail, hostage situation, or Imperius Curse," said Tonks robotically.

"Moody doesn't have that dazed look," Alexis said. "We'd spot it in an instant."

"No one's been reported missing lately—other than Bertha Jorkins."

"I knew Bertha in school," Silvis spoke up. "She doesn't have any relation to Moody, I'm sure of it. She was one of those arrogant snobs and the epitome of a stupid bitch."

"So the hostage situation is crossed out," said Tonks, stifling a chuckle.

"That leaves blackmail," Alexis said. "What dirt does Moody have that someone could use against him?" she mused aloud.

Tonks dropped her head on the table with a dull thud and groaned, "That means more digging and research."

"And talking," Alexis added. "I still think it best for us to try to speak with Moody and figure things out from there."

"Research first," Tonks suggested. She knew that if they were to speak to Moody, she would be the most likely candidate, having been much closer to Moody than Alexis and even Silvia. Tonks was after all, his beloved protégé.

"Time to go then," Silvia sighed, standing up and pushing her chair in while grabbing her traveling cloak. She said something Tonks could barely hear between the scratching of the chair legs against the dusty tiled floor. "Back to the office," it sounded like.

* * *

><p>When November's Frosty Moon drew near, Tonks was caught by complete surprise. She'd thrown herself into her work, hoping to level her intense feelings for Remus as he'd proposed they travel backwards in their relationship and take things slowly, leaving Tonks no room to channel her scorching feelings for him. She'd busied herself so deeply into her work, researching information about Moody and keeping an eye out for any news of Crouch Jr., that she'd almost forgotten the full moon was quickly rising. Tonks only remembered when a tawny owl came flying to her office cubicle through one of the department's open window, bearing a letter from Remus and inadvertently causing a mess on her desk.<p>

"Bloody bird's a menace!" Tonks groaned as she sent the bird off and cleared away the pile of papers while opening his letter.

Her eyes skimmed it twice over, taking in meaning and the subtle hidden hints his neat and elegant scrawl wrote on the piece of parchment. When done, Tonks set the letter down and scrambled to find her desk calendar below the chaos. It was November 22nd, two days before the full moon. Bemusement fell upon her eyes when she read the small memos she'd written for herself in the calendar boxes.

"Dinner with mum," she read in the box where the date of the full moon was set. "Blue moon?" she wondered, reading the added text. It had completely slipped her mind. That month was a Blue Moon, a rarity and a Wizarding holiday. "Damn," she grumbled. "I've scheduled dinner with mum that night—but what about Remus?"

The monotonous atmosphere of the auror office was suddenly interrupted by the series of loud noises and thuds that came from Auror Tonks' cubicle. Tonks stood up so quickly that she'd knocked over her chair along with a pile of reports and her wastebasket. Ignoring the catastrophe, Tonks grabbed her thick scarlet robes and wand. She took long and quick strides out of the office, completely uncaring of the mess she'd left behind.

In Remus' letter, he'd stated that he was writing her from The Leaky Cauldron and not to send a reply owl less it startled some people. The Leaky Cauldron was where Tonks would go. Tonks rushed out of the auror department and slammed herself into a crowded lift just before the wrought iron grilles came to a close. Several people in the lift grumbled at her while others remained quiet. The lift moved fast and jolted in several directions before it came to an abrupt stop at the Atrium.

Once the iron grilles slid open, Tonks shot out like a bullet and made her way to the many rows of chimneys constantly bursting into green flames from the endless floo travelers coming in and out. She hoped that Remus was still at The Leaky Cauldron and while hoping, Tonks slid into a chimney, vanishing in a sea of green inferno.

Magic was absolutely, doubtlessly, beautiful. One second Tonks was facing the extravagant, high-ceiling Atrium of the Ministry that shockingly resembled a more polished version of the old London Underground and the angry face of the wizard she'd cut in front of. The next second, she was looking at the inside of The Leaky Cauldron, an old-fashioned, dusty but homely Wizarding pub.

"I'll never get used to my own spontaneity," said Tonks, shaking her head as she stepped out from under the mantel. Immediately, her eager eyes began searching for his charismatic face in the crowd. It was the time of day when witches and wizards would gather to chat about the course of their day and looking for someone in a crowded pub was quite hard.

Finally, after craning her neck for several seconds, Tonks spotted Remus' pallid and haggard face at a small table towards the entrance. She danced gracelessly over to him, giving up her dance and resorting to her usual ungainly strides halfway there. Tonks had initially decided to jump up on him with a bright grin, but she'd suddenly remembered his wish to "take things slowly". She paused to think. How would she go slowly?

"Nymphadora," he called her name.

Tonks looked up. She'd gotten so close to him that he could clearly see her. "Wotcher," she grinned, resisting the urge to hug him and place a kiss upon his pale lips. That was as slow as she could force herself to go. When she'd agreed to Remus' proposition, she never thought it'd be so hard.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?" he asked her, gesturing for her to take a seat.

Uncaring of how she held herself, Tonks plopped herself not-so-elegantly onto the seat across from him. A small smile played across her lips, as she wondered how Remus could do so well keeping any distance at all between them.

"I got off early and decided to come here for a drink," she lied.

"Right after you received my letter?" he questioned, seeming doubtful of her answer.

"Coincidence," she said.

Remus smiled.

"Anyways," said Tonks, wanting to speak with him from what he'd told her in his letter. "Sorry I'd forgotten the full moon was that night and tried scheduling a date with you."

His smile brightened. "It's alright," he said.

Tonks nodded. "You didn't tell me where you planned on transforming though," she continued. "Did you want to use the old cottage in Kent's Woods again or—"

"Nymphadora, I can't have you there this moon," he said suddenly.

"What? Why?" she retorted.

"It's dangerous!" he stressed. "We've been over this. And besides," he sighed, "We've agreed to take things slowly. Simple lovers cannot put each other in danger like that."

"But we're _not_ simple lovers," Tonks scoffed. "Remus, I agreed to taking things slowly on all other days but the full moon is a completely different story. I can't bear to let your transform alone."

"Dora, I've transformed alone for years before I met you. I'll be fine," he assured her.

"Who will help you up in the morning and treat your wounds?" she asked.

"I'll…I'll come to you."

"At least tell me where you plan on transforming."

He hesitated. "Most likely I'll be using the Shrieking Shack again, now that Rosier is arrested and I'm no longer suspected for murder," he said.

"Can I come see you after moonrise?" she asked.

He shook his head.

Tonks rolled her eyes and huffed. She needed to find a way around his barrier.

"I still have no wolfsbane potion. I'll be dangerous throughout the night and into the day," he explained dismally.

"The _day_?" she questioned with utter confusion in her tone.

Remus nodded. "It's the Blue Moon."

"So?" she replied. "The Blue Moon's a Wizarding Holiday, there's nothing else special about it…right?"

The troubled look in Remus' blue eyes told her an entirely different story. Ever since little, Tonks' only impression of the rare Blue Moon was that it was a holiday, one somewhat like Easter and not as big as Christmas. It was when workers were given off for several evenings with their family while gazing at the cold and surreal but beautiful blue moon. The only supernatural happening during that holiday was that the pale and silver moon turned blue. What more could there be about the Blue Moon that could provoke Remus' paranoia so?

"The Blue Moon rises on the night of the full moon but lasts throughout the next day and does not set until the sunrise comes after another evening," Remus explained in a sorrowful tone.

With the rarity of the Blue Moon, Tonks could not remember much details of it. It had only happened twice in her lifetime and that upcoming moon was the third time. She'd completely forgotten that another strange occurrence about the Blue Moon was that it lasted throughout the next day and night.

"Don't tell me your transformation period is longer," Tonks gasped.

He solemnly nodded.

"Remus, that's all the more reason to let me stay with you."

"It's dangerous, you can't. And the time is much longer, making it even riskier," he stubbornly explained. Remus was not going to relent and allow her to stay with him that time. She knew, because while speaking, his eyes would often glance at her left arm at the spot where her injury had been—now, there was only a jagged scar.

"Why won't you let me get close to you again?" Tonks asked, unable to help herself when her voice sounded like the epitome of heartbreak.

For a long while, he was quiet. Remus only spoke again when the deafening silence grew to be too much. He spoke in a gentle, quiet tone and confessed, "Getting too close…causes me to forget that I am a werewolf." His voice broke and a tempest of woe started around them. "I forget that I am a monster."

"Isn't it a good thing?" she asked, placing her hand over top of his in the middle of the table. "Isn't it a good thing to forget those false beliefs? Remus, you're a werewolf, yes, but that doesn't matter. And in no way are you a monster."

"I'm a danger to you," he said. "And besides, I wouldn't want to risk being near you on the Blue Moon. Like the Blood Moon, there's something about the moon's pull that changes the wolf. The Blue Moon is a rare occasion, Nymphadora, and I don't even know what would happen," he sighed.

Tonks was quiet, lost in thought. She was trying to find ways of convincing Remus to let her be with him through that impending moon, but instead of an idea forming, she'd suddenly remembered an old lesson she once sat through in Divination.

"The story behind the Blue Moon," Tonks began, trying to recall Professor Trelawney's words that one day long ago, trying to remember what the batty professor said through her cousin's perpetual snoring. "The story was that Cassandra Trelawney, the celebrated seer with the Inner Eye, placed a part of her gift upon the moon. Whenever the Blue Moon rises, it means that something, something big and worldly, is about to happen. It's interpreted as a good omen, something good will happen. Maybe, unlike the Blood Moon, something good happens during transformation on the Blue Moon," Tonks suggested.

"Before any good endings, the worst must happen," said Remus in reminding tone. "That's the hidden meaning behind that story—I've read about it. Nymphadora, I don't want to risk this. Please, don't come with me," he implored.

With nothing else to say and no brilliant rebuttal coming to mind, Tonks stayed quiet. Below the table, she wringed her fingers viciously together and pried them apart again and again. She bit her lips and looked at him, meeting gentle blue eyes with dark twinkling green. It was hard to hold back in love.

* * *

><p>Rarely was he able to sit down and speak with his best friend, his brother and fellow troublemaker, over a warm cup of tea—or rather a fiery glass of whiskey in that case. Sirius was over at Remus' home, a small but neat and cozy flat somewhere in Surrey. He'd brought over a flagon of his cousin's best single-malt whiskey, without her knowing of course, and planned on sharing it with his werewolf best mate until the last drop was gone. Sirius' plan was going accordingly. They were halfway done with the bottle and both Marauders were deep in conversation about the surprising course their lives had taken.<p>

"How come you never told me how wicked whiskey and chocolate tasted together?" Sirius asked through a mouthful of chocolate doused in scarlet red whiskey.

"You never asked," Remus replied. He ate a small piece of milk chocolate in a more elegant and reserved way then took a small sip and emptied his glass.

"Mm, so back to what I was saying," Sirius mumbled, returning to the lengthy conversation they'd been having before he was distracted by chocolate and alcohol. "Why are you so hell-bent on keeping Tonks at arm's distance? I mean it's not like you two haven't…err-I won't go there. But you know, what you're doing is pointless."

Remus sighed. He closed his eyes briefly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm trying to protect her, Sirius. Besides, I don't know what would happen on the Blue Moon. I don't want to put her in danger anymore."

"Alright, I understand that you want to protect her when the full moon rises, but what about all the other days of the month? Keeping her at arm's distance is futile. I don't see what you're trying to accomplish out of this."

The one good thing about having Sirius Black as a friend was that he was incredibly insightful when need be and he does not speak to Remus from the point of view of Tonks' older cousin but rather from the point of view of Remus Lupin's best friend. Remus liked talking to Sirius, despite the bloke raising his blood-pressure too many times.

"Perhaps she'll see that I'm not good enough for her and let go," Remus replied truthfully and sadly. There was a hanging sadness in his tone and when he looked up at Sirius; his raven-haired best friend saw something in the shabby bookworm's eyes that triggered empathy and worry. Sirius looked into Remus' eyes. From his eyes dripped sorrows.

"You're just being sadistically cruel to her and to yourself," said Sirius. Remus' eyes perked up, an unspoken gesture of his that questioned why. "You've been with her, gotten close to her, fallen in love with her, and now you're just stopping it all with no just cause? You can't go a day without thinking about her. She can't go a day without thinking about you. And you _know_ what it's like to be happy with her. You _know_ how it feels to be with someone you love. Now that you've known, preventing yourself from experiencing it is just torture beyond hell's world. It's a lot less painful to be innocent…once you know what you could have had, it will kill you slowly when you realize you do not have it."

"That was…deep…" said Remus, thinking hard about Sirius' words. He suddenly wanted the spotlight away from himself. He wanted quiet time to think and Sirius' words had helped him plenty. Now he wished to not be under Sirius' piercing gaze, making him feel pressured in making a decision. "How are you able to give insight on these things when…?"

Sirius' eyes suddenly narrowed. "You're not going to be like Lexi and say that my love-life is as interesting as a rock, are you?" he asked wryly.

An unintended chuckle suddenly left Remus' lips. "Rocks are amazingly interesting."

"Git," Sirius grumbled. "Well for your information, I think about these things all the time. Lately, more and more often," he added, the last part barely audible but Remus still managed to make out the words.

"Lately?" Remus questioned. His quick-witted and logical mind rapidly connected all the dots and drew up connections. A small smirk appeared on his face, relieved that the spotlight was finally leaving him and turning on Sirius. "You fancy someone."

Sirius was quiet for a moment but the next he'd gone hysterical. Whether it was the alcohol's doing or Sirius' own madness, Remus could not tell. His raven-haired best friend suddenly groaned and shifted in his chair. He threw his legs over the arm and leaned his back on the other. Sirius frantically ran his hands through his thick black hair several times before folding his arms and huffing.

"You alright?" Remus questioned innocently.

"It's frustrating," Sirius grumbled, his cheeks beginning to turn pink from the whiskey.

"What is?"

"This thing."

"What thing?"

"_Stirrings_—troublesome, unexplainable, irritatingly wonderful _stirrings_…for Silvia…."

Quietly, Remus leaned back, somewhat feeling guilty that he was enjoying Sirius being under the spotlight for once. He nodded once. It all made sense—Sirius' special care for Silvia, his tendency to stir her anger and happiness, his preference to stand closer to her and be partnered with her in games or tasks…everything made sense. Remus wondered if he was the same way towards Nymphadora Tonks.

* * *

><p><em>CRASH!<em>

"SHITE!"

"Nymphadora! Language!"

"Mum, stop calling me Nymphadora!"

A broken plate, a fallen chair, and a pink-haired auror on the kitchen floor, was not the sight Tonks had hoped to create while having dinner with her mother the evening of the full Blue Moon. Outside, the sky was weaved in strips of vermillion, scarlet, and fiery orange. The sun had not yet set and moonrise was still hours away. The air was cold and dry but the evening sky was beautiful—it was like it was freshening itself up for the supernatural and rare Blue Moon.

Under the warm yellow lights that lit up Andromeda's cozy home in Kent, Tonks' family had been preparing for dinner. Sirius was browsing through Ted's collection of video cassette tapes, looking for a good film to play in the background during dinner. Alexis was helping Andromeda, aged and elegant, prepare the delicate cake, meticulously placing frosting flowers upon it. Ted, big-bellied and mellow, was grabbing the wash cloth to clean up the mess his daughter made, chuckling. And Nymphadora Tonks was sprawled on the floor, broken china beside her and chocolate pudding all over her face.

"_Tergeo_," Ted's mellow voice spoke as he pulled his eccentric daughter up to her feet.

"Thanks dad," Tonks sighed, thankful that her father had cleared the pudding off her face while dropping clumsily down on the wooden chair. "Bloody hell I'm hopeless," she groaned.

Being the gentle father, Ted chuckled. "Don't let your mother hear you swear again or she might throw the cake at you."

"More food on me, wonderful," Tonks groaned. She knew she needed to watch her flippant attitude when she was around her mother.

"How about this Ted, _The Long Good Friday_?" Sirius asked while holding up a black rectangle that Tonks knew was a video cassette tape from her father.

"That's a crime thriller, Sirius. Dromeda doesn't like those during dinner," Ted smiled.

"Always having your wife's best interest," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"That's marriage," Ted chuckled.

"That's a curse," Sirius replied. "This then, _The Servant_."

"Put it in the player," Andromeda suddenly said as she walked towards the dining table. "I like that movie," she smiled. "Dinner's ready!"

Immediately, Sirius ran into the living room and turned on the muggle television. Soon, the family of five took their seats and smiled under the warm yellow lights. Tonks nearly went cross-eyed looking at all the delicious looking food her mother prepared, but her attention was hopelessly stuck on the beautiful cake sitting in the middle of the table.

The clicking of cutlery against fine china sounded for a while, mixed into a melody with the drama playing on the television in the background. Soon, soft conversations began and Tonks sat listening, having nearly forgotten the beauty of a simple family dinner.

"You and Lexi never visit. Even Sirius comes by more often than you," Andromeda said.

"Sirius?" Alexis asked, taking a drink from her generously poured glass of whiskey.

"Yes, he often comes by with Silvia," said Ted.

"If I didn't know better, I'd they you two are a couple," Andromeda smirked.

Sirius suddenly choked on his drink and coughed several times. Strangely, his cheeks were turning a tinge of pink which didn't go by unnoticed. "Sorry, went down the wrong pipe."

"Oh yes, wrong pipe alright," drawled Tonks in a sarcastic manner.

Towards the end of dinner, the conversations had grown more serious. Andromeda and Ted began discussing the strange happenings all around England, how more and more news of Dark Wizards were rising and the Daily Prophet's constant rants about Harry Potter. Tonks had stayed quiet most of the time, her thoughts elsewhere. She was distracted, constantly glancing out the window and anticipating the Blue Moon to rise.

"Andromeda, have you been in contact with anyone from our deranged family lately?" Tonks heard Alexis suddenly ask. How the conversation had gotten there, Tonks was unsure of.

"Like who, dear?" Andromeda replied rather rigidly as she ate a piece of steak.

"Like, Narcissa Malfoy?"

There was an abrupt pause. Andromeda stared at her plate for a while before answering, "We've spoken," she said collectedly. "Is something on your mind, dear?"

"Nothing."

"You've spoken to Narcissa, haven't you?" Sirius asked with a narrowing gaze. "That's the other reason you go to Hogsmeade, other than seeing Fred and George."

"Yes, but…"

"Lexi, I don't think you should be spending so much time to her," said Tonks briskly.

"Narcissa's not evil," Andromeda said suddenly. "She's a neutral party. Don't judge her like those pure-blood obsessed sadists."

Tonks was slightly surprised. She turned to Sirius who wore the same expression as Andromeda did. Ever since she was young, Tonks knew that Sirius and her mother still had never gotten over the fact that their beloved family was split apart by madness and war. But Tonks could never remember a time when Andromeda openly defended someone other than Sirius or Alexis or herself.

"I somewhat see Tonks' point though," Alexis spoke up. "It's difficult to trust Narcissa when her husband is Lucius Malfoy. We all know he's up to something, like always. And this time, Narcissa knows about it. She informed me slightly. I can't see her motive in telling me what her husband is planning."

"Lexi, and now _I_ think…she might be luring us into something," Tonks confessed.

"Or maybe she just cares about you and want to warn you," Andromeda suggested. "Dora, dear, I know it's against your auror nature but don't be so paranoid. People aren't _born_ evil and Narcissa never carried out any of the wicked deeds those Death Eaters many years ago had. She was just caught up in the mix because of her husband."

"Besides," Ted added, his mellow voice lightening the conversation. "She has a husband and a son. It shows that she's still capable of loving and caring. Evil villains can't love," he smiled. "Now enough of that, who wants cake?"

Tonks looked at her father and smiled. Somehow, whenever the conversations grew too dark, her father would choose the best time to cut into it, bring it to a gentle stop, and trail onto something more pleasant. This time, he'd trailed onto cake, the scrumptious and mouthwatering cake that had been taunting Tonks ever since the start of dinner.

After all the food on the dining table had been cleared, Tonks' twinkling eyes found their way to the open window and stared at the darkening sky outside. The sunset was almost done and there were still minutes until moonrise. Leaving her family bustling around the kitchen cleaning up, Tonks mindlessly walked over to the window in the living room. The star-strewn indigo sky was growing darker and a sudden temptation washed over her. She wanted to hear his voice, to make sure he was alright before moonrise. Tonks sighed. Keeping things "slow" was much too hard.

While the others were busy with the clanking of plates, pots, and pans against the kitchen sink, Tonks went over to the dark fireplace and sat down before it. Wandlessly and non-verbally, she conjured up a small fire. The wood crackled in the flames, spilling a warm orange light over the quiet living room. A second later, Tonks tossed a pinch of floo powder into the dancing flames and the orange glow turned emerald and jade.

"Remus Lupin, Shrieking Shack," she said before sticking her head into the green fire.

It felt as if she'd dipped her face through a curtain of warm, falling water. Tonks blinked several times and the image of the Shrieking Shack's interior came into focus. It was just like the last time she'd been there, broken, decrepit, bare, and old. Remus was on the other side of the derelict drawing room, folding up his overcoat and setting it down. He began to unbutton his jumper when he looked up and saw that the fireplace had burst into green flames.

"Nymphadora?" he spoke when he saw her head in the fire, floating like a green ghost.

Tonks smiled. "Wotcher," she said.

"Where are you?" he asked her, fighting a smile from appearing on his face.

"At my mum and dad's," she answered. "Are you doing alright?"

He nodded. It was a pleasant surprise, hearing Tonks' voice right before what he felt would be a terrible night. "Don't come," he pleaded.

"I won't," she replied. "How much longer until moonrise?"

Remus reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a small, bronze pocket watch. "Several minutes," he said, looking at the clock face. On his hands and knees, Remus crawled closer to the fire and closer to her. He was weary and tired but for some reason was putting up a strong façade. "Is there something troubling you?" he asked upon the look in her eyes.

Tonks shook her head and smiled when Remus suddenly reached out to stroke her face through the fire. She could not physically feel his touch, but the abstract feeling was still very real. Keeping her at arm's distance was a strain on Remus too and she wondered why he must be so stubborn and persist on it.

"How are you feeling?" she asked in a tender voice.

"Alright for a pre-moon evening," he answered.

Her smile brightened. "That's good, just checking up on you. I guess I'll be going…."

"No wait," he suddenly said. Tonks' eyes found his and she waited for him to ask the question. "Can you perhaps…stay a little longer, until moonrise?" he asked weakly, rubbing the back of his neck while biting his lips. Tonks grinned and nodded too many times.

"Of course," she answered.

* * *

><p>Sirius was sitting in the armchair of Andromeda's living room, his arms crossed and his mind constantly thinking about a certain someone. He scratched his head and searched for distractions so that he'd stop thinking about her. For a long, long time, Sirius had thought he was over the strange butterfly-in-the-stomach feeling. Never did he expect them to come back. Frustrated, he stood up from the armchair and went over to Andromeda, Ted, and Alexis who were all gathered at the dining table. They were watching Tonks, discussing something quietly. Joining them, Sirius turned around towards the fireplace to see his pink-haired cousin's back end.<p>

"I never realized how strange it looks from our point of view," Sirius mused aloud. "I mean it looks like she's doing something—"

"Sirius!" Andromeda yelled.

"Never mind then," he said. "She's talking to Remus, isn't she?"

"That's what I heard when the flames went on," Alexis replied.

"How is he anyways? Tonight's the full moon," said Ted.

"He said he'll be fine," Sirius sighed. "I doubt it. He and Nymphie are trying to go backwards in their relationship and take things slowly. Like that'll work," he scoffed.

"Don't doubt it," said Ted. "To love is to experiment with the heart."

"If they could move forward and backward at ease and still be hopelessly infatuated with each other, they're soon to know all life contains of sorrow and joy," said Andromeda softly.

"In other words, it's true love," Ted smiled and clarified.

"Well aren't you two the poetic couple," Sirius teased. "Oi, it's getting late. I need to go somewhere," he sighed. "Thanks for dinner, Andromeda."

"Gazing at the Blue Moon with a significant other?" Alexis teased.

"Nip it or I'll tell your boyfriend on you," Sirius retorted, causing Andromeda and Ted to laugh as they bade him goodnight and saw him to the door.

* * *

><p>Hogsmeade was cold that night, colder than he'd expected and colder than it had been before. They were nearing the end of November and the cold weather was to be expected. As he walked, Sirius laughed at his own forgetfulness and regretted not taking his blazer along with him before going out that night. The street lamps flickered on one by one until the street was lit up by a warm glow of lights. The store windows glistened in the night while overhead, thick layers of rolling clouds were masking the moon.<p>

Sirius drew a long, rattling breath, shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, and stared at a red-bricked building on a road divergent from High Street. Several windows of the tall, red-bricked building were dark and several were lit. His piercing grey eyes wandered up to the top floor of the building where two small windows sat, lit up by a warm light. It was flickering—there was a fire burning under the mantel inside in addition to the lamps. Sirius sighed and continued looking. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for.

The icy wind swept his face and gave him a gentle nudge. He should go home. It was late and Sirius himself wasn't quite sure what he was hoping to accomplish standing silently beneath her window. Just when Sirius was about to turn around and disapparate, he suddenly saw the silhouette of a thin, svelte woman passing by. Sirius' eyes lit up. She passed by both windows with what looked like a glass of wine and a plate in her hands. He stood and waited for a moment. Then she passed by again, walking back to where she'd been sitting. Something suddenly came over him and Sirius found himself acting without cause. He was beating alongside his unpredictable heart, carrying out actions his logical mind would never consider.

"Silvia!" he called. He held his hands up to his face and cupped them around his mouth. "SILVIA WHITE!" he called again.

Movement came from the window on the far left. Sirius could see the curtains shutter. The shadow of the svelte woman came back and with one graceful brush, she pulled her thin ivory curtains open. Silvia's darkly beautiful face appeared at the window. She looked down and when she saw him, a confused expression appeared on her face while she opened the window.

"Silv!" he called again, waving his arms as if hailing at the sky.

"SIRIUS?" she replied, utterly shocked. "What are you doing here?"

He was slightly taken back when the smile took a moment to appear on her face. Silvia looked torn, conflicted rather. The look in her chocolate brown eyes told him that much, but Sirius couldn't figure out the reason why she was conflicted. _Had she been watching a suspenseful film beforehand?_

"I don't know!" he replied, smiling. "I don't know why I'm here!"

"Are you drunk?" she called back, leaning over the window, looking worried.

"I've only had two drinks! I'm not drunk!" he replied.

Silvia shook her head and disappeared from the window. Sirius stood there, perplexed at both her and himself. He still couldn't understand why he'd decided to walk there. In the next short moment of time, Silvia suddenly appeared at the doorway to her building, a thin, scarlet red cardigan wrapped around her dainty body. Sirius couldn't help but marvel at the way wind blew through her dark brown hair as she quickly made her way over to him. He was surprised when the first contact she made was her gentle and warm palm upon his face.

"Merlin's beard; Sirius are you drunk?" she asked, sounding exasperated.

"I'm not drunk," he laughed. "I don't really know why I'm here," he added pensively.

She smiled gently. "You don't know why you're here? Sirius, you've gone mad. It's incredibly cold outside and you're taking a stroll around my flat."

"I've gone mad." His eyes stared into hers, occasionally admiring her windswept hair. "I was acting upon these odd feelings I have." To Silvia, his voice suddenly was as soft as satin.

"Feelings?" she questioned.

"Yes, these strange feelings I have for you," he replied, completely unaware of the meaning given by his words. "They're like feelings, or stirrings, or something, but it's strange."

The look on Silvia's face was suddenly a mix between happiness and fear. She laughed nervously, her brown eyes glittering under the starry sky. "Sirius, are you saying you have feelings for me?" she asked. Her voice was like the wind's whisper.

"Yeah," he nodded as realization dawned upon him. "That's what I'm saying." He looked at her and a wry grin broke across his darkly handsome face. "But you and I both know that it won't work out. I mean…you want to settle down and I want to live!"

"Yeah…." She spoke in a quiet voice.

"It's completely illogical! Absurd! Ridiculous, you and me…I'm insane, I mean if we think it could work out, we're both insane!" Sirius rambled.

"Yes…we're insane…." Silvia said quietly.

Sirius drew a breath and looked up at the sky. "I guess I should be going now," he said, gazing at the moon that was beginning to turn blue. The pale, icy face in the sky was turning to a light, frosty blue as he gazed upon it. "Goodnight, Silv."

"Goodnight, Sirius," she said tenderly.

In unison, they both turned around, their backs facing each other and began taking slow, small steps away. Sirius didn't disapparate right away and Silvia was lingering on the street. For some reason they did not, could not bear to leave each other. Several small steps later, they realized they'd been traipsing instead of departing. Silvia drew a deep breath and looked towards the door of her building, trying to tell her legs to carry her there. Sirius was trying to make himself disapparate.

Suddenly unable to fight the strange temptation, Sirius turned around. Much to his surprise, at the same moment when he stole a look back, so did Silvia. Their eyes met, grey met brown, and that moment suddenly an old fire was reignited. It was a weird, magical sort of feeling that Sirius had never experienced. Everything was returning; it was all coming back.

"Why'd you turn around?" he smiled and asked.

"Why did you?" she replied, her expression still torn and confused.

He shrugged then turned back to face the empty street.

A beat.

"Yet again," Sirius suddenly spoke, looking up at the star-strewn obsidian black sky with the face of the moon turning truer blue. "When have we ever been sane?" he questioned.

Silvia raised an eyebrow. "What?" she said as she turned around.

Without a warning, she suddenly felt someone grabbing hold of her, pulling her into a tight but gentle embrace. Before she could say a word, her lips were suddenly captured by him. Sirius had spun her around and caught her lips with his. They were falling into a passionate kiss that should have happened so long ago and should have been repeated day by day before. He kissed her ardently and she returned his actions with equal fervor. Their hands traveled and soon the cold but warm fingers strayed just below the shirt hem. Their hair turned disheveled and the world around them turned into a blur. Suddenly, the air wasn't so cold anymore.

Reluctantly, Sirius pulled his lips apart from her just gently. He parted the distance between them just enough so that he could get a glimpse into her alluring eyes. Looking into them, he could read her easily like a book. He knew her thoughts and she knew his. The old connection they had, the old flame that was still simmering under the ashes, was burning.

Sirius pressed in and that time he kissed her gently. He cradled her in his arms, lifted her off the ground, and blindly made way towards her building. They collided against the door but Sirius did not allow her to pull away from him. His kisses trailed from her lips down to her neck, a low moan escaping her lips as they got inside her building and pushed themselves into the lift.

After blindly maneuvering their way up to Silvia's flat, Sirius felt an unexplainable burning sensation inside of him. Looking into her vast brown eyes, he saw the same feeling within her. Blindly, they found the soft comfort of a mattress and together, fell down upon it. The next thing that happened, Sirius could not put into words, but he _was_ able to feel it. All the love, all the feelings that they once had over a decade ago, was all storming back to them.

* * *

><p>When the image of her pale, heart-shaped face had disappeared from the emerald fire, Remus sat back with an empty mind. He reached for the iron poker beside the mantel and began poking at the green fire—it quickly turned orange again and casted a cozy glow over the interior of the shack. Remus drew a breath and looked out the window. He had only a few seconds left.<p>

The sun was down and the moon was rising quickly. From where he sat, Remus could already see the moon turning blue. It was a peculiar but beautiful sight. His body felt tense and rigid and Remus knew that transformation was only seconds away. He continued to gaze at the icy light blue moon, wondering if she was doing the same. If Tonks was looking at the moon, then Remus suddenly felt closer to her. That feeling was enough comfort for him. He was now anticipating the extra long night and day coming.

Something suddenly felt ridiculously wrong. Remus was unable to form proper words in his confusion and transformation. His eyes showed utter bewilderment while staring at the beautiful Blue Moon. It was turning into a deeper, truer shade of blue, glowing in the starry and calm night sky. Something was very wrong. His limbs and muscles were shifting and turning—that part he could feel. But where was the pain?

* * *

><p>Her dark eyes were glistening as she gazed upon the beautiful night sky. Nymphadora Tonks would be lying if she said that the starry, starry sky and the sapphire Blue Moon was not an unearthly sight. The entire night, she'd sat at her mother's windowsill, gazing out upon the moon. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she was hugging her legs while staring outside. Suddenly, Tonks was reminded of her loving and wonderful childhood. On many nights, she'd be doing the same thing. She was a rowdy and rambunctious child, but she still enjoyed peace and silence and time to think.<p>

Looking at the godly sight of the moon, longing fell over Tonks' heart and mind. Longing chained her. She began thinking about him, worrying about him, and wondering about him. She wondered what had happened and if the moon had been kind to him. Her wonders led to propositions and silent arguments within her mind. She wanted to go see him, but she was afraid she would further convince him to keep his distance….

Suddenly, possessed by a spell of spontaneity, Tonks shot up from the windowsill and walked over to the dining table. She grabbed her burgundy red coat from the wooden dining chair and picked her wand up from its place in the fruit basket. Before she could take another step, she suddenly heard noises and froze.

"Lexi?"

"Tonks?"

"Bloody hell, I thought you'd be sleeping like a pig."

"That's rich," Alexis yawned, stretching as she walked down the stairs from where her and Tonks' old room in Andromeda's house was. She made her way over to the living room and pulled a small, cushioned stool over to the fireplace. As if it was an everyday (or every night) occurrence, Alexis started a fire with her wand and began poking at it while grabbing a pinch of floo powder from the shelf beside the mantel.

"Lexi, it's one in the morning. What in the world are you doing?" Tonks asked.

"Err, confiding in a friend," she replied as she continued to poke the growing fire. "What about you? Every other night, you're snoring up a storm."

"Ha ha," said Tonks. "I was um…just gazing at the Blue Moon."

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Alexis said. She tossed her pinch of floo powder into the flames and it began to turn green. Before the floo magic could mature however, the fire suddenly grew and rich, emerald flames burst from under Tonks' mantelpiece. "Bloody hell, impatient much?"

Curious, Tonks leaned in closer for a look. From the dancing flames, she suddenly saw the making of a head appearing. Several seconds later, Tonks was staring at Fred or maybe George Weasley's head, grinning out from under her fireplace. Tonks raised an eyebrow. She'd always thought the special person Alexis always had her late-night conversations with was her boyfriend, Marrick, not one of the Weasley twin.

"Hello there," the young boy's head grinned, looking around. "Oh, Tonks is here!"

"Keep quiet George, my aunt and uncle are sleeping," Alexis hushed, playfully hitting his head over the fire. "You're rather impatient."

"I wanted to talk," he replied, laughing. "It's the Blue Moon tonight, where's the window?" he asked eagerly.

"To your right," Alexis said. "Give me a minute." She got up from her stool and went over to Tonks, a knowing look in her eyes. "You were leaving, weren't you?" she asked.

"No I wasn't," Tonks denied.

"Honestly? What's with your coat and wand?"

"Alright," Tonks sighed, rolling her eyes. She glanced at George's head which was turned facing the window, looking upon the beautiful sky outside. Tonks then returned to her cousin, deciding that even if she'd tried to question Alexis about George, she'd get no answers from her witty cousin. "I was going to see Remus."

Alexis smirked and moved to the side. "Have fun," she said.

"You're not going to stop me?" Tonks asked, somewhat surprised.

"Even if I stop you, you're just going to find another way to go see him, so what's the point?" Alexis answered. "And besides, I've promised George we'd watch the moon together."

"What about Marrick?" Tonks asked, unable to help herself.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "The bloke's asleep, worn out from work," she grumbled. "And he's a morning person while I'm—"

"A nocturnal beast?" Tonks teased.

Her cousin's jaw dropped. "I was going to say insomniac, you twat. Now, off you go before I get annoyed with you," she added, practically shooing Tonks out of the house.

"The moon is bluer over here!" Tonks heard George announce, followed by her cousin's hushing, right before she left the front door. Shaking her head, Tonks took several steps out into the front garden before disapparating with a faint _pop_ in the soft but glacial night air.

* * *

><p><em>Crack!<em>

"Shite!" Tonks shrieked as she fell upon the dirty ground and rolled over, holding her hands. A terrible pain suddenly surged from her left hand up and Tonks looked down at it, biting her lips hard and mastering herself not to scream. She'd splinched herself, having forgotten that Remus had placed barriers around the Shrieking Shack. Now she lay several yards away from the looming old shack, her hand slit from between the middle and ring finger down to her wrist. Tears were stinging her eyes and Tonks took a moment to settle herself before sitting up and searching for her wand.

"Bloody hell Tonks, why are you so god damn useless?" she grumbled to herself.

When she found her wand, Tonks stood up and searched for the barrier Remus had placed around the shack. She'd rarely ever tried to break down others' barriers but as a trained auror, Tonks was glad to say that she'd been taught how. She was, after all, a student of Mad-Eye Moody. From the very early days of auror training, she'd been learning how to crack the most difficult of barriers. Her daily warm-ups consisted of solving Moody's insanely difficult locks and protection shields. It'd turned into an easy task over the years.

After several minutes of groping around the familiar tall grass, Tonks finally collided against a cool, invisible screen. She pressed her hand upon it and made sure it was the barrier. Then, without wasting time, Tonks placed the tip of her wand upon it and began cracking the protection spells Remus had placed. Her wand flared and the tip of it including a large radius of the barrier glowed ultraviolet. Several minutes passed and Tonks was still trying to crack the spells. It took a significant amount of time until the barrier vanished into thin air like fog and Tonks realized she was done.

Smiling to herself, Tonks made her way into the shack. Once she was at the front door, she turned around and set her own protection spells upon the area. It was best to be careful since Remus had said that even he didn't know what usually happens to transformation in a Blue Moon. Tonks wasn't going to take any chances and risk Remus running out upon the town while in the form of his werewolf self, even if she loves him whole-heartedly.

Once done, she turned back around and crossed the threshold into the shack. Many memories revisited and filled her mind as she entered the dusty old place. The shack swayed more than it did before and many more holes poked light through the walls. She walked into the living room, looking around. It was warm but there was no fire and Tonks wondered how that could be. She held her wand up and was about to light a spell but something suddenly occurred.

"Nymphadora?"

"Don't! Bloody! Call me! Nymphadora!" She stressed dramatically.

The entire day, her mother had called her by her wretched first name. Her father had slipped and done the same. Sirius and Alexis seized the opportunity to do so, and Tonks had not said a word in hopes of not angering her mother. As a force of habit, now that she was away from them, she'd flip on the first person who said her name.

"Merlin," she sighed. Tonks suddenly paused. Who could have said her name? Remus was transformed as a wolf and wolves couldn't speak, can they? Who else was inside the Shrieking Shack? "_Lumos_," she said. The tip of her wand glowed and lit up the room with a dark, icy blue glow, enhancing the beauty and blue of the Blue Moon.

Her eyes wandered around the shack. Immediately, they fell upon the large creature sitting in the middle of the room, sitting very much like a man would sit with his knees apart and his arms resting upon them. Tonks took a step inside, her eyes on him.

Remus was transformed—light brown hair covering him from head to toe. His chest showed no signs of injury whatsoever and there weren't the usual traces of blood all around him as a result from transformation. He sat silently in the middle of the room, harmless and calm. Tonks took another step closer, holding her wand up to him. He did not move, but he looked at her. He'd noticed that she was in the room.

"Remus?" she said softly, taking another step closer to him.

Tonks' eyes found his, meeting gentle blue with twinkling green. She paused. _Wait a minute, blue?_ A bewildered look crossed her face as she took one more step closer, standing before him now. She had no fear within her and for some odd reason, the fact that Remus was transformed as a wolf without wolfsbane potion was no difference to her at all.

"Your eyes are blue," she spoke softly, the same way she'd speak to him if he was wearing a cardigan and trousers.

There was silence and for a long time, Tonks simply stood there, staring.

"Something is not right," he suddenly spoke. It was the same, soothing, satin-like voice that Remus always had. He'd spoken to her.

Naturally, Tonks' eyes widened. "What in the world?" Her jaw fell an entire foot as she openly gaped at the unexpected turn of events. "You're-you're…Remus you're talking!"

"Yes, and I don't know why."

It took Tonks a moment to recover from her shock. Never before in her entire life had she spoken to Remus while he was transformed as a wolf, not even when he had wolfsbane. Tonks didn't know how it happened but knew it must have had something to do with the heavenly beautiful Blue Moon hanging over head in the starry, starry sky outside. She gulped and swallowed hard. Tonks reached forward and placed a hand on him, feeling his warm skin and fur rising up and down at a steady pace with his breathing.

"You have full control of yourself?"

"Entirely," he replied.

Never was she one to dwell too deeply into things. Tonks simply smiled. "That's a good thing then!" she said.

"I fear that something is up," said Remus, paranoid.

"Remus, transformation is over with. The moon has risen and you're transformed. Can't you just be happy that for once, you get to keep your mind and senses? I mean, you can even talk!" said Tonks, shifting closer to him.

"Nymphadora, this doesn't just happen. It _can't_ just happen. I'm not supposed to be able to keep my mind on a moon without wolfsbane. I'm not even supposed to talk!" said Remus, standing up now and pacing the room, very much like he normally would when something was on his mind. Tonks stood back and looked at him, forgetting entirely about the pain and the blood still dripping from her splinched left hand. It was a strange sight, watching Remus, the wolf, pace the room much like Remus, the man would.

"Don't worry too much about it, Remus," she said.

"If something good like this happens, something bad is bound to come," he said.

"Remus, don't stress over it," she comforted, stopping his pacing and uncaring of his fur and claws, she held onto him.

Remus stopped, his gentle blue eyes looking at her. His long snout made the entire scene rather strange. In all honesty, Tonks thought she was in some twisted dream. But the pain returned in her left hand and she knew it wasn't a dream. Dreams didn't hurt and at the moment, her left hand was secretly causing her to scream in agony inside her head.

"This doesn't just happen," Remus persisted.

Tonks remembered he'd said that on the Blue Moon, strange things happen during transformation. Being a witch and having been exposed to magic all her life, Tonks knew that there were no limits to all that magic could do. She looked at him and the entire situation as if it was a normal occurrence. The only thing Tonks could say the Blue Moon did to his personality was that it made him a thousand times more paranoid. Other than that and behind the fur and claws, he was still Remus Lupin down to the very core.

"Once in a Blue Moon, Remus," she said tenderly.

The warm look in his blue eyes told her that he was beginning to accept the strange reality they were in. On a rare Blue Moon, Remus could talk and keep complete control of his mind. Tonks guessed that the effects must change with every Blue Moon, much like how every Blue Moon predicted a different event. She thought no more and looked into his eyes, losing herself in them and feeling quite happy and warm.

"Nymphadora, what are you doing here?" he asked after a while.

"I can't stand not knowing."

Through his long snout, Remus must be smiling—at least that was what the wry expression on his face looked like it was trying to show. "Curiosity…"

"Will one day be the death of me," she finished for him, smiling.

"You're hurt," he said, nudging at her injured hand gently with his closed paw.

"I splinched myself getting here," Tonks answered. She took out her wand and quickly applied some simple healing spells to it, preventing the blood flow and reducing the pain.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," she said. "Remus, will you please just let us be together, naturally and with no restraints? This whole "taking it slow" thing is really hard on me."

He looked at her and his eyes smiled to her but he didn't say a word.

"You're as stubborn as ever," she said, shaking her head. "Sit down, love." He sat down and she shifted so that she was comfortably nuzzled in his arms (or paws). Remus didn't pull back and instead, he slowly relaxed himself and shifted so that she was even more comfortable in his embrace. "Please, just be grateful for this moon and enjoy it," said Tonks.

"Thank you," he said and carefully, laid his head down so that he was closer to her. He could feel her gentle breath on his skin and though she was so fragile and delicate in his arms, he continued to hold her. His fear was vanishing, thanks to the moon.

Tonks leaned up to place a loving kiss upon the side of his face near his ear, away from the teeth and jaw. She laughed suddenly, shifting in his hold to make herself even more comfortable. "Remus, I have to admit, the fur is so soft and fluffy!"

He must be laughing by the strange but melodic sound coming from his throat. Remus sat still, holding her like a delicate prize and looking at her ardently. He still wished she hadn't come, but he was glad that she was now there. He still feared that he would hurt her, but that fear was quickly disintegrating with the moon. He wouldn't have that fear again at least until the coming of the next moon. But until then, he still had the remaining days of a whole month.

Underneath those starry skies, they laid together in each others' embrace, glittering eyes staring out at the beautiful night. The celestial bodies of the world seemed to have gathered for a scenic dance that night as stars twinkled and shined in the velvet black dance floor. The surreal Blue Moon glowed sapphire in the Cimmerian sky and shined down upon them, casting a magical cobalt glow over the field of tall grass swaying in the gentle wind. The air was cold but inside they were warm. Eyes continued to gaze at the beauties around them and before falling asleep, one thought registered in both Tonks and Remus' drowsy eyes: The moon was blue.

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><p>Replies:<p>

RemusTonksFan: Speaking of blue eyes, I always have to stop myself before I accidentally go into a whole paragraph describing Remus' blue eyes, omg (sigh). And yea, as a Remus and Tonks Shipper, they are my OTP and I feel they complete each other too! Remus is just too much of a noble prat (in a good way of course) to admit it and luckily stubborn, stubborn Tonks is with him otherwise he'd NEVER see it! As for Sirius and Silvia :3 I have something planned for them...Sirius may not like it though xD

ajlover: I've always enjoyed writing Remus and Tonks' relationship idk y but I hope you like it! xD And Sirius in love, I figured since in canon, he died before he could love (oh j.k. rowling u can b so cruel sometimes) now that he's not dead, love should touch him and ob boy will he have problems with this love story xD as for George and Lexi, there's something there... xD and oh I've been to Singapore before! I'm Vietnamese so when I visited Vietnam during the summer, I'd visit Singapore too! I really like Singapore and for some reason I wouldn't mind summer all year round


	23. Grown Up Love Story

**Author's Note:**

Now that I've got everything set for summer (finally) I'm thinking about updating this story a little bit more frequently than once a week, err what do you think? I was kind of afraid that it might be too fast of updates if I update every 3 or 4 days, so tell me what you think if you can. Thank you! ^_^ Also, thanks for your constant support, you don't know how much I appreciate it! xD

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><p><strong>Chapter 23 – Grown Up Love Story<strong>

Bundled together under a thin blanket in the late-November weather, Remus and Tonks were shivering and rattling their teeth in sleep by the time morning came. On that particular morning, because the mystical Blue Moon was still hanging like a sapphire jewel amongst the heavenly bodies, the night sky was still present and strewn with twinkling stars—there were no clear distinctions between night and day and the dawn came out of sight. It was like an extremely long night. Aside from the glacial moon and the Cimmerian sky, another instance added on to the cold and icy morning. From the dark clouds that hung and lazily rolled above, delicate snowflakes fell and softly blanketed the scene in a thin layer of pure, frosty white.

Time passed slowly and in that decrepit old shack—The Shrieking Shack—where Remus and Tonks laid asleep, the air was below freezing. Stirring awake, Tonks rolled over to her side where her sleepy face met with Remus' lukewarm chest covered in thin, light brown fur. She stirred again and shifted so that she laid closer to him. Although he was still transformed as a wolf because of the pull of the moon, Remus was harmless. He could not hold her comfortably with his claws however, and so he laid in a position comfortable for her while she nuzzled into him and hid herself in his embrace.

"Why is it so cold?" Tonks muttered, shifting so that her face was now buried in his arm.

At first there was a soft growl but then Remus' gentle voice came lightly to her ears. "Nymphadora, look," he said, shifting again.

Hesitantly, Tonks pulled slightly away from him so that she could sit up. Remus' long snout surprised her and she'd bumped her head against the bottom of his jaw. "Sorry," he said just as she moaned "Bloody hell." Yawning, Tonks rubbed her head and pushed herself up to a sitting position. Now slightly more awake, Tonks took a moment to think. Never before in her life had she ever considered waking up with her werewolf boyfriend, facing his long snout and gentle eyes and smiling as she said, "Good morning, Remus." Even though Tonks had joined Remus for several full moons before, she'd never woken up with him still as a wolf.

"Good morning, love," he said. He then directed her attention towards the window.

When her curious, twinkling eyes turned towards the broken and partially shattered window that used to be boarded up, Tonks gasped. Outside, it was snowing. Although it was dark, the shining lights of the nearby town allowed her to see. Soft white snowflakes were floating gently to the ground. Cold gusts of wind swept by, roaring and howling as they joined together in a shrill cacophony.

"Finally, it's snowing," said Tonks. "And no wonder it is bloody freezing."

"The first snowfall," said Remus pensively. "How ironic that it's on a Blue Moon."

Sighing, Tonks lifted herself up to her feet and made her way over to the dark and lightless chimney. "Remus, it's morning. Don't tell me you're going off about your paranoia with the Blue Moon again," she said while squatting down in front of the darkened fireplace. She poked the ashes and wood with her wand several times before muttering a quiet "_Incendio_," under her breath and conjuring up a warm fire that spilled warmth over the room immediately.

Remus sighed too, shifting so that he was now sitting up. "I can't help but worry. Nothing bad has happened yet and—"

"And you should not worry. Just live for the moment, dear," Tonks smiled as she turned around. When her eyes fell on Remus, she straightened herself and folded her arms, looking at him with contemplative eyes.

"What?" he asked, his long snout barely moving with his speech—his eyes did more of the talking. It was a rather strange sight that Tonks still hadn't gotten over. Remus was transformed as a wolf, and he was _talking_!

"Nothing," she said. "I'm getting used to it."

"Me looking like this?" he asked, looking down and gazing at himself.

"It's nothing to worry about," she said while rolling her eyes. Tonks returned to her place in his embrace and leaned back against his chest while observing her splinched left hand. The blood had dried and hardened while the deep and long cut had turned red and looking rather bruised. "You think Lexi or Silvia can fix this up?" she asked.

"I'm sure they can," he answered. "If not, we can go to St. Mungo's."

"I don't like going there. Every time I go they always jump to the conclusion that I've fallen and hurt myself…which admittedly is the reason most of the time, but that's beside the point," she rambled.

An odd look crossed Remus' face and Tonks had to take a second glance at him to realize he was chuckling. Remus seemed more relaxed around her, fortunately, but his paranoia about something bad happening was unyielding. Every so often, he would express his concern and make a prediction over what bad omen that Blue Moon could be foreboding.

"I thought the Blue Moon is a good omen," said Tonks bemusedly.

"There's always a catch to it," Remus explained. "To have a good ending, the worst must come first. I'm worried, Nymphadora. In history, the last time the Blue Moon showed, Voldemort met his defeat and brought an end to the Wizarding War."

"What's so bad about that?"

"James and Lily died, Sirius was framed, should I go on?" he said rather grimly.

"No," she said. "But nothing bad could happen now," she comforted him. "There's not going to be a _second_ Wizarding War." She sighed. It was strange to think of another war waging, but yet, after those words spilled out of Tonks' mouth, she and Remus both looked at each other with a strange gaze. Lately, events and news involving Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort had suddenly surfaced again and somehow, a second war didn't seem so ridiculous anymore. There was still hate, segregation, discrimination, and prejudice in the world. Another war over it didn't seem so farfetched. "No," said Tonks suddenly. "It won't happen again."

"Let's hope so," Remus sighed and gently tightened his hold while staring wistfully out the window. Soon, they both had gotten lost in a reverie they didn't expect.

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><p>The pesky little pixies wouldn't leave him alone! Just when he thought he'd finished them off, a whole swarm of vivid, turquoise blue Cornish Pixies would attack him from yet another corner of the dilapidated drawing room. Sirius took out his wand and brandished them away impatiently. As he did so, he looked around. The drawing room was too familiar. The furnishings specifically spelled out Slytherin-pride while the entire design of the room looked like a chamber for Dark Wizards to meet. His head turned, dodging a pixie soaring maniacally through the air with a shrill laugh a harpy would envy. Incidentally, his grey eyes fell upon a moss-eaten tapestry with many familiar faces. Sirius was frozen in shock.<p>

His eyes opened and he came to an abrupt awakening. Unlike normal people, Sirius didn't wake with a start. The nightmares had ceased to horrify him after twelve years in Azkaban. He blinked once, twice, rubbed his sleepy eyes, relaxed, then yawned. Then, a sudden realization hit him. He wasn't in his own bed. He was not in his own flat. In fact, his logical mind had not wanted to be there at all.

Lying still, Sirius' piercing eyes darted around the room. There was an aromatic scent drifting in the air like those high-end perfumes he loved so much but could never describe the specific scents. Across from him there was a large vanity table packed with materials and vials of potions for hair care, skin care, and various others. There was a window a little further down, draped by a thin ivory curtain with laced patterns at its fringe. A warm light came from the night lamp on the bedside table, lighting up the room. Sirius was in Silvia's flat, in her room, and on her warm, warm bed covered in silk and satin.

Immediately, he pushed himself up but remained gentle so as not to wake his sleeping partner. He threw his legs over the bedside and climbed off. As he pushed himself to his feet, Sirius turned back and casted a look at the sleeping beauty beside him. Briefly, Sirius wondered why there was such a thorough breeze sweeping his body in her warm flat. He ignored the matter and continued to gaze upon her. Her brown hair was tossed back, a thin smile on her face while her white satin gown was ruffled under the bed sheets. Sirius' eyes widened when he realized his clothes were there as well.

Quickly and quietly, he got dressed and casted a dark glance at the clock sitting on her desk in the corner of the room. The clock face read nine o'clock, most likely in the morning. Sirius' eyes automatically shifted to the sky outside and he was not surprised to see it still dark with a sapphire moon hanging in the distance.

He then turned back to Silvia and began pacing the room while running his hands through his hair over and over again, wearing a distressed look upon his face. "Oh my god," he mumbled to himself. "What have I done?"

Silvia stirred and Sirius froze momentarily. When he was sure she was still asleep, Sirius returned to his pacing, wearing a trench in the creaky floorboards. He felt a mixture of emotions varying from confusion, guilt, happiness, satisfaction, and worry. It was a terrible feeling.

A thought kept jabbing Sirius in the side, rushing him to reach an answer and plan of action. He'd slept with Silvia—there was nothing more to be done in that. Now what was he to do afterwards? He'd slept with her before. But that was when they were still reckless and uncaring adolescence. Now there was too much to care about. He felt guilty. He didn't know how they would be able to live with each other if Silvia proposed they start dating afterwards. He knew she would propose that. She'd always been serious in relationships and once he went to bed with her, it meant they would soon become a thing. That was how it had been in the past. Sirius huffed and continued to pace.

"I can't date Silv. I mean, Merlin's beard I feel something for her," said Sirius, mumbling insanely to himself, a force of habit he'd developed from Azkaban and never got rid of. "But I can't date her. We'd kill each other by the end of the week!" he said in a hushed voice. "And dear Silvia wants to settle down. I don't want to settle down yet! I still haven't lived! I still haven't gotten to go to that shady place James showed me with all the pretty women dancing around! My god!"

He felt like he was about to go mad. He'd meant to keep his feelings for Silvia a secret. Others could tease him about it, but he never meant to act on them. Last night, under some sort of invisible influence, Sirius had acted upon them….

"Sirius, you're up early," Silvia yawned, sitting up from her bed.

Surprised, Sirius turned to face her with wide eyes like a deer in front of headlights. "Yes, Silv, something urgent came up," he said in a scarily even voice. He'd said this before, so many times, with the same face he'd perfected and in the same situation only once before.

"Oh," she simply said. Her expression dropped.

"I uh, I need to go. See you soon," he said quickly and strode over to place a hasty but gentle and warm kiss upon her forehead before practically sprinting out her door.

Sirius needed to go. He needed time to think, and standing before her with her gentle eyes unknowingly rushing him to make a decision, he could not think properly. That time, in search of a serene place to think with no pressure at all, Sirius unhinged mind thought of doing something he normally would never consider. He would, temporarily he hoped, find a place where he could be away from people he knew, and think through everything. Sirius knew himself too well and if he went into a relationship with Silvia, he'd never be able to live and do the crazy, stupid things he'd always wanted to do. If he didn't make a decision, he feared he'd hurt Silvia like before after their first night together. Sirius sighed as he skidded to a halt inside the lift. He needed to think through his options. It was either Silvia or freedom.

* * *

><p>It was the beginning of December. The white snow had fallen thick on the ground and jolly Christmas spirit in many was returning quickly and rising fast. Already, Tonks had begun her Christmas shopping list, enjoying the many hours spent traipsing around Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and muggle London with Remus at her side. The Blue Moon had finally passed and Remus was full of smiles. She'd convinced him that he could be happy and worry-free for another twenty-something days or so until the next moon nears. Then he was allowed to worry. But still, ever since the supernatural and heavenly beautiful Blue Moon, a sense of paranoia continued to linger in the back of Remus' mind.<p>

One evening in early December, Tonks and Remus were wandering the streets of London. Their eyes watched the lights and life of the city while puffing warm air into their hands. They were bundled in sweaters, coats, scarves, and hats, but still the frosty winter air chilled them to their bones. Remus pulled Tonks closer and muttered a quiet charm to her that caused her coat to magically heat up lukewarm. She smiled and looked to him but her smile fell when she saw that he was rather troubled.

"You're not still paranoid about the Blue Moon's meaning, are you?" she asked gently.

"The last time there was a Blue Moon, love, I lost all of my friends and my entire life was turned upside-down. I can't risk that again—"

"You're not," she assured him. "Please don't let it trouble you Remus. There are no dangers lurking around anymore."

"Life's unexpected, love," he told her and she sighed. "But that's not the troubling thought at the moment," he added, looking up at the passing of a scarlet red double-decker bus.

"What's on your mind?" she asked him with genuine care and interest.

"Sirius," he answered.

Tonks let out a sigh. She had not seen Sirius since the Blue Moon and he had not gone home once—he hadn't even appeared anywhere she'd gone to in search for him. He'd simply sent home a letter attached to an owl with a pecking fetish, stating that he was safe and away, needing time to think. Tonks had figured out what happened after several days of prying the information out of a troubled and confused Silvia at work. In all honesty, Tonks felt that Sirius had simply run away. She then felt she was left in a difficult position, unsure if she should do nothing or work to make something happen—unable to understand Sirius' reason, unable to choose a side, torn between cousin and friend.

"Has he ever done this before?" Tonks asked. Remus was his best friend. He'd know.

"Somewhat," Remus replied, eyes distant and recalling a memory. "The first time he…you know, slept with someone-Silvia, back in school." Remus' voice was gentle and reminiscent. "I was quite sure they both fancied each other before hand. Sirius and Silv apparently had gotten drunk at a part somewhere, according to James—sorry I did not pay much attention to parties and such—and after the party they shagged."

Listening to Remus speak, Tonks found that the differences between their two generations at Hogwarts weren't so big after all. She'd heard many similar stories back when she had attended the school herself.

"How did Sirius react then?"

"She wanted to date him—we were innocent back then and after doing something…big like that with someone, well, you'd understand," said Remus. "Sirius ended up avoiding her for a whole month until he finally caved into his own feelings. They began dating and maintained a relationship up until Sirius was taken away to Azkaban."

"He didn't have to go so far as to practically run away this time around," said Tonks.

"He feels conflicted," Remus explained. "Silvia had always said she wanted to settle down and now, all her old feelings for him had probably returned, making it harder for her to choose anyone else to settle down with. Sirius on the other hand, always said he wanted to live his life and do crazy things he never got to do. He's not yet ready for a settled life. It's confusing, yes. On one part, he wants to care for her and be with her but on another he wants his freedom."

"So he's torn between chivalry and selfishness," said Tonks.

"You could put it that way."

"Do you think there's anything we can do to help?" she asked. "Silvia's my friend and I don't think Sirius running away and cutting off contact with _us_ is a good idea, knowing how reckless he is. And Silvia's not getting anything done in our tricky investigation while she's distracted," Tonks continued to explain.

"We could perhaps try to talk to him first. He's right in front of us."

Tonks looked up, surprised to see Sirius heading down the same sidewalk but going the opposite direction of them. He was holding a plastic cup of frozen ice coffee, sipping it as he walked, his eyes staring at the ground. A pensive look was carved into his gaunt face while deep, premature lines made creases on his forehead.

"Sirius!" Tonks called and waved.

Immediately when he saw them, he turned on his heels and ran.

"Git," said Tonks, chasing after him, weaving through the crowd of passerby with agility and coordination that normally would have been lost in her. Remus was behind her, taking long, athletic strides while trying to keep up with the energetic auror chasing down her cousin.

Sirius ran in a funny-looking way. He took long, jumping strides, sometimes throwing his arms in the air as he zigzagged and crisscrossed his way through the busy street. When there was a clearing, he darted in a speedy and graceful stride in the form a professional runner would take—his grace was similar to that of his animagus form when he ran. Fortunately for Tonks, Sirius couldn't turn into an animagus or disapparate in a street full of people, giving her an opportunity as she pushed harder and began to catch up on him. When Sirius made a sharp turn into an alley almost tripping over his own two feet, Tonks worried. To prevent him from escaping, an ungainly leap and tackle was her only option. Within the blink of an eye, Tonks had tackled Sirius down from behind, rolling on the concrete ground with her arms tightly around him as if she was capturing a criminal.

"Ouch! Bloody hell! Nymphadora Tonks, get off!" Sirius yelled, trying to push her off.

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks shrieked in a shrill voice. "Why'd you run away?"

Remus had caught up to them within seconds, seeming like he hadn't even broken a sweat. He helped settle Tonks and Remus apart; holding onto both their arms and helping them stand up to their feet. Remus shook his head at Tonks' aggressiveness and shot Sirius a look.

"Sirius, why'd you flee when you saw us?" Remus questioned in a calm voice.

"I was caught off guard!" Sirius replied. "And I don't want to see you! Look at what happened!" said Sirius indignantly as he rubbed his sore arm.

Tonks glared at her cousin with a reproachful look while gingerly cradling her own wounded hand, still hurting from being splinched during the last moon. "You didn't have to run."

"You're going to make me talk to Silvia," Sirius sighed. "I haven't thought things through yet," he grumbled.

"What do you mean think things through?" Tonks asked ear-splittingly.

"Nymphadora," said Remus in a gentle, reminding voice.

She held her hand up to her head and massaged her temple while drawing a long sigh. "This isn't the place to talk. Sirius, where are you staying?"

His grey eyes widened. "Do I have to?" He turned to Remus, hoping for reinforcement.

"We can just go to a bistro at the corner instead," Remus sighed and led both his best friend and his girlfriend out of the alleyway with a stern expression. "Sirius, come on!" he urged, giving his raven-haired friend a nudge.

On the way down to the bistro at the corner of the street Remus was talking about, Sirius walked in front of the couple, his hands stuffed in his pockets while he drew one long sigh after another. Remus, keeping things in order, threw Tonks reminding looks whenever she began to grind her teeth and glared at Sirius' back.

"You know he's stubborn," Remus said quietly. "Please love; just let him speak to us."

Rigidly, Tonks nodded.

They arrived at the corner bistro which had turned out into some sort of dinner several blocks away from Trafalgar Square. The tables were vivid red and the interior of the diner reminded Tonks of a restaurant in the 1970s era. Inside, they got themselves a cozy table hidden in the corner and after ordering muggle drinks which Sirius and Remus had grown accustomed to, began their impending conversation.

"Why were you and Tonks looking for me?"

"We weren't," Remus replied while Tonks had decided to sit back and listen. "We just spotted you. Now, Sirius, do you think simply running away like this is a good idea?"

"Running away?" Sirius scoffed. "I haven't run away! If I did, I'd be far away from here. I just need time to think and I'm staying at a nice muggle hotel near here."

"Why not come home?" Remus queried. "If you need quiet time to think, Lexi and Nymphadora wouldn't be a bother."

"I feel pressured to make a decision whenever I see you and Lexi," Sirius sighed, speaking to Tonks. His eyes then shifted between Remus and Tonks. "Silvia and you are very close—best friends! And this, I really need to think this through because though it may not be important to you, it's important to me!"

"Sirius, keep your voice down," Remus hushed.

"Why do you even need to think about this?" Tonks questioned. "Can't you just act on your feelings for her? It's quite obvious you have some."

"It's more complicated than that," Sirius sighed. "Tonksie, I'm passed the days where I can just recklessly and impulsively act upon my own feelings. We're all grown-ups now and you'd come to realize that there's more than just love in life. There's so much more, a whole world out there. Remus, do you understand?"

Tonks huffed and placed her head in her hands, glaring at Sirius through her fingers while Remus gave Sirius a slight nod. Remus pinched the bridge of his nose, frustration creeping up upon him. "Dora," said Remus softly. "Let's just let him think." He took her hand gently as he spoke, his eyes spelling a sense of understanding for Sirius' strange reasons.

"Let's go," said Tonks in a low voice.

The scratching of chairs against the floor sounded for a moment as the three of them got up together, paid for their drinks that remain unfinished, and left the diner. Sirius seemed pensive, lost in his own mind as they walked.

"Has Lexi found you yet?" Tonks asked, knowing that Alexis would have the resources and methods to find Sirius had she wanted to.

"She has," Sirius confessed. "When she found me, she gave me a right-hard stunner in the groin," he grumbled with an upset look in his eyes. "Afterwards, we spoke for a little bit—basically the same conversation we had."

Remus and Tonks nodded. "We'll leave you to your thoughts then," Remus said softly. "No rush," he added in a mellow, comforting voice. Sirius smiled at his best friend and gave Tonks an unreadable but soft look before he left them, turning and crossing the busy street.

* * *

><p>The black walls of the Department of Mysteries were really growing to annoy her. As she worked, Alexis often found herself unable to focus—as a result, she would stare at the black wall across from her desk in her dark and spacious office. Earlier that week, she'd gone to see Sirius. She was able to comprehend his reasons for needing time away to think, but personally could not empathize with him. It could possibly be that she was, according to Sirius, still being at the age where a true and happy love was everything. She wasn't quite sure.<p>

A soft knock on her office door removed her from her reverie. Alexis looked up, somewhat surprise and wondered who could be visiting her. She suddenly remembered that she'd sent Silvia a memo saying if she needed to, she could come down and talk. It was most likely Silvia who was the visitor.

"Come in," Alexis called.

The glossy black door opened with a click. First to appear was Atticus' face, a pale and gaunt young man who would have been quite good-looking if not for the intense dark circles ringing his dark, glowing eyes. Silvia's face then appeared and she appeared quite weary and haggard as well. There was a state of gloom hanging over her head and the usual glint of optimism in her gaze Alexis often saw was gone.

"Alexis, Miss White is here to visit you," said the young man with tired eyes.

"Thanks Atticus," she replied as Silvia walked in. "Um, we don't have any urgent reports. If you want, you can take a break. I'll cover for you."

A small smile appeared on his face. "Thank you," he said before leaving and closing the door behind him.

"Very kind of you," Silvia smiled, taking a seat. "I wouldn't mind having you as my Department Head. Scrimgeour's very rudely urging us to make progress even if it kills us."

"I'm like that too. But I'd never want to be Head of the Auror Department." She paused for a brief moment, closely observing Silvia's appearance. Something was hard on her mind and Alexis knew what that something was. "How are you feeling?"

"Alright actually," she replied. "I'm just tired from work."

"You're not upset?" Alexis asked, unsure of the answer entirely.

"No," she said evenly, shaking her head. "I mean we're all adults here. So your cousin and I got together for a little…or rather big shag. It's not the end of the world."

"Well when you put it that way, it sounds like a normal thing," said Alexis, folding her hands together. She'd always been able to predict people's thoughts and feelings, even without the use of Legilimency. However, that time, she had no idea whether Silvia was telling the truth or not. Her voice was even, she didn't seem distressed, simply tired.

"I mean yes, I am kind of put off that after we shagged he sort of ran away, but it's nothing big, really. It's not like Sirius got me pregnant or anything. And like I said, we're all grown-ups here. These things no longer dominate our lives. I have other things to worry about, such as our annoying case in which we still haven't made a dent in the progress department."

It was strange. Silvia had always been one to secretly rule love as everything. She'd been searching for the _one_, her soul mate, to settle down and live a lifetime with—that was what Alexis had always known about her. Could everything have changed?

When Silvia began talking again, Alexis realized that the best thing she could do for her friend was to listen—much like how she'd listened with Sirius when she found him in London on an evening several days before. She cared about them and wished to help but they were, after all, grown-ups and could sort problems out themselves. Sometimes, silence is the best form of comfort; a silent mouth and ears ready to listen.

* * *

><p>It was snowing again that night and the air was as cold as ice. Layers of fluffy white snow blanketed Hogsmeade, covering rooftops and town streets in a sheet of white. The Wizarding town looked like a picture out of a Christmas greeting car with its snow covered rooftops and the puffs of smoke floating out from all the chimneys.<p>

Hogsmeade weekend was that night and while Sirius was hiding away in London mulling over his thoughts, Remus and Tonks were the ones visiting Harry and making sure he was alright. They'd met up with him at the Three Broomsticks and after speaking over several butterbeers, their conversation continued on as they walked the street. Snow dampened their footsteps as they walked. Tonks slipped and fell once on what appeared to be a thin strip of ice and her entire bottom was soaked. Fortunately, Remus knew a drying spell. Harry was bent over laughing while Tonks blushed profusely. Remus' eyes were up towards the skies, suddenly finding the dark rolling clouds to be immensely interesting.

Recovering from her utter embarrassment, Tonks, Remus, and Harry fell back into comfortable conversation again. They began speaking about what had been going on at Hogwarts and how Harry's second task clue still remains unsolved.

"…I don't know where to start looking or what to do to solve it," the boy with unruly black hair said. "Whenever we open that ruddy egg, it just screeches like a bunch of harpies!"

"Has Hermione gotten a look at it?" Tonks asked.

Harry nodded. "Everyone's had a look at it. Lexi knows how to solve it but she's not allowed to say."

"Lexi knows how to solve it?" Tonks asked, surprised. Remus on the other hand, wasn't.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Her Department created and charmed the eggs. She said that she'll tell me how if I'm still unable to figure it out the month before, but I don't want to ask her. I want to actually figure this thing out for myself—it's unfair to the others."

"Oh Gryffindors," Tonks sighed, knowing that she'd jump at the first shortcut she gets.

"That's a good thought, Harry," said Remus, smiling. "How far have you gotten?"

There was a pause. "Nowhere," he replied weakly. "I'm somewhat more preoccupied on another task at the moment," he revealed.

"They're giving you another task?" Tonks questioned with surprise in her tone.

"No, not really. The Yule Ball is coming up—that's why I won't be able to come back over Christmas. I'm staying at Hogwarts for the Yule Ball. As a Champion, I need a date and—"

"You haven't asked anyone," Tonks finished for him, smirking. "Need some help?" She knew of one girl who would love to go with Harry. Unfortunately, boys are blind at his age and could not see what's in front of him.

"No," Harry said much too quickly. "I've got it covered."

Tonks giggled while Remus was smiling and shaking his head. "I suppose to go to the ball you'll need to have your dress robes ready. Do you have it all prepared?"

"Yeah," he answered. "Silvia came buy the other day and looked at them for me." There was a pause in his speech. "Is she alright? Silvia looks really weary lately whenever she visited." He paused again. "Why couldn't Sirius come tonight?"

Remus always knew Harry was intelligent and spotted things rather quickly. Silvia had grown to become like a motherly figure to him, much like how Sirius was a fatherly figure. He cared about them both, and with Silvia looking haggard and Sirius not showing up, Harry would have figured out that something was up.

"Silvia and Sirius are having some _grown-up problems_," said Tonks with great emphasis on the last few words. "No worries though Harry," she added cheerfully. "Once your mental godfather mulls over his thoughts, things will be just right again."

"Grown-up problems?" Harry questioned with a funny look on his face.

"It's difficult to explain," said Remus, smiling. "Now, tell us more about Hogwarts," he said, diverting the conversation back to a topic where they had less things to hide from Harry—or at least he tried until Tonks asked, "How's Moody doing?"

"Hogwarts is brilliant," said Harry enthusiastically. "The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang kids are alright. I haven't really spoken to them but they seem alright. Moody, well I don't see anything wrong with him. He knows what he's teaching us, albeit it the lessons are a little scarier." As Harry spoke, he'd noticed that Tonks was no longer laughing and throwing in snarky comments about his current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher like she and Lexi used to. He'd noticed that it was the same with Lexi and Silvia as it. It was almost as if they'd distanced themselves from Moody in a way.

"Does Alastor seem to act strange or does anything peculiar?" Remus asked that time.

"No, I don't see anything," said Harry contemplatively. "He drinks from his flask a lot and shivers afterwards, has a wooden leg, a bunch of mirrors called foe-glass…I don't know."

Tonks sighed. Harry wouldn't have spotted anything strange with Moody. Moody was the most paranoid man alive and wouldn't trust drinks from anyone besides from his own flask. His wooden leg had been in his possession ever since Tonks met him, along with his for-glass in which Tonks once had a scary ordeal with.

"Nothing peculiar," said Tonks, beginning to explain her thoughts to Remus. "Moody never drinks from anything other than his hip flask—"

"Never?" Remus cut in.

"Never."

"I don't see him touch anything else, not even at the dinner table," said Harry.

A pensive look washed over Remus' face and Tonks noticed immediately. Without having to ask, Remus was already about to tell her. "I saw Alastor at the Hog's Head once, having a simple drink," said Remus.

Tonks' eyes widened and many thoughts raced through her mind. She knew Mad-Eye Moody. Never would he drink from pubs or restaurants in fear of enemies poisoning him. The only time he ever drank from anything other than his flask was when he's over at a very trustworthy friend's house.

"That's not right—" She was suddenly cut off when someone rushed past her in a hurry, colliding against her shoulder but never bothering to stop and never even faltering in step. Tonks looked up, auror instincts forcing her to place her hand over her wand. Looking from behind, Tonks recognized the back of that person's head. After spending several months staring at pictures of him and reading up on his life and arrest, Tonks had grown to be able to recognize him in an instant. She was too sure that the person who had collided against her was Barty Crouch Jr., the man she was looking for. "Remus," she called, grabbing his arm. "We have to go." She was already walking after the man hurriedly, tugging Remus along without explanation. "Sorry Harry, we really have to go…."

"It's alright, Marrick said he'll be visiting me tonight," Harry called after them with a confused look in his eyes but decided not to run after them.

Remus was following behind Tonks, confused. "Nymphadora, what—"

"Shh," she hushed him immediately. "I thought I just saw Crouch Jr."

Immediately getting the idea, Remus broke into a fast walk and along with Tonks, weaved through the street full of people while keeping his eyes on the man Tonks was following. He had on a black overcoat several sizes too big for what appears to be a gaunt and frail body. His hair was straw-colored and from the side glimpse of his face they got on the street, he looked more like a skeleton with pallid and grey colored skin stretched over his bones. Yet Crouch Jr. didn't resemble a man that had been in hiding for many months though. Remus would know—he'd seen Sirius' terrible state after being in hiding for several months last year and it wasn't pretty. Crouch Jr. looked clean and as if his energy was recovering. They continued following him for a while longer and he seemed to have noticed them as he was making sharp, sudden turns in hopes of getting rid of them. Unfortunately for him, Tonks' tracking skills were top-notch. They wounded up following the man into the Three Broomsticks Inn.

"There are too many people in here," said Remus.

"We catch up to him first. Then we worry about the others later," said Tonks, taking even faster footsteps as they crossed the threshold.

Crisscrossing through the crowd of people inside the inn, Tonks tripped over something and was flailing to the ground when Remus' arm suddenly caught her, pulling her up gently from around her abdomen. She didn't stop and only through him a thankful, tender look as they continued trailing the straw-haired man up to the rooms on the second landing of the inn. Once they reached the stairs, there were no crowds—it was just Remus and Tonks following the man who was now sprinting.

"Crouch!" Tonks called.

The gaunt-faced man turned around. For a brief second, Tonks caught a clear glimpse of his face. He looked exactly like she thought he would. His face resembled that of the once handsome young man, son of a high-ranking Ministry official Tonks had seen in pictures. His skin was milky white like in the pictures. There was also a dilapidated state to him and Tonks expected this, predicting it from the many years he'd spent hiding from the Ministry. He glared at her during that brief second when he turned back and never would Tonks be able to forget that malevolent look in those solid brown eyes that bored into her in that brief glimpse.

Down the hall, he'd slammed himself into a room. The sound of the door closing caused an echo to sound through the empty hall of the second landing. Tonks pushed herself further and when she and Remus reached the door, they'd nearly overrun it. Skidding to an abrupt stop, Tonks' ankle gave out and she was falling again. Fortunately, as if Remus was expecting it, he caught her just in time with an air of grace Tonks could never muster. They tried to open the door but it was shut tight and locked.

"_Alohamora_," said Tonks desperately. There was a clicking noise coming from the door hinge but nothing else happened. It was still locked.

"These inns can't be open by simple spells," said Remus. "Customer privacy and such."

Frustrated, Tonks took several steps back into the corridor. If Alohamora didn't work, then Tonks had another, more aggressive method of opening doors. She knew that these inn doors had only charms on the locks and handles but nothing on the door itself. It wasn't as if each room was protected by a well-charmed barrier like the ones Tonks and Remus had grown so used to making. She quickly positioned herself into a firm and balanced stance. The next thing she did utterly surprised Remus. With brute force, Tonks kicked the door down and stormed into the room with him following behind her.

Inside, they were disappointed to find no one there. Immediately, Tonks and Remus eyed the open window with its curtains swaying in the cold winter wind and snowflakes fell in through the opening, quickly forming a puddle of water on the floor.

"Bugger," Tonks cursed.

"He escaped, but we now know that Crouch Jr. is in Hogsmeade," Remus said, trying to calm her. He'd done a much better job appeasing the air for a second after he spoke, the howling winds came to a low growl and the snow didn't fall inside anymore.

They took a moment to step inside the room and looked around. It was a simple inn room with a bed, furnace, writing desk, and wardrobe. There was nothing special about the room, nothing at all. Having looked through everything inside the room and finding nothing, Remus and Tonks decided to leave it at that. They both headed towards the broken door, heading out.

"Room 14," said Tonks, looking at the number written on the front of the door she'd kicked down and was now hanging loosely on its hinges, completely unattached to its handle and lock. "We could go down and ask Madam Rosmerta who had this room."

"Let's go," Remus nodded and walked back downstairs with her, feeling defeated.

They hurried down the stairs although in a discreet manner. While walking, Remus had noticed Harry sitting in the Three Broomsticks, at a table in the far corner. He was having a laugh with Marrick and Remus was glad. At least Harry wouldn't be too worried over what's going on outside of Hogwarts…or within just yet.

"Madam Rosmerta," Tonks called.

The landlady beamed at Tonks, a bright grin upon her face. When her eyes fell upon Remus, there was slight hesitation, but she seemed to have relented with herself and beamed up at him as well. "Tonks, Remus, pleasant seeing you here."

Tonks had noticed Madam Rosmerta's different gaze upon Remus and blamed the Daily Prophet for revealing his identity as a werewolf to the world. She however, chose to ignore the landlady's somewhat condescending gaze, just like Remus was doing himself.

"Care for a drink?" Rosmerta asked.

"Actually we were just leaving," said Tonks quickly. "But Madam Rosmerta, do you know who was staying in Room 14? We passed by and saw that the door was kicked down."

A look of surprise appeared on Rosmerta's face and a fleeting one crossed Remus'. He turned to Tonks and saw her keeping a thoroughly straight face except for the strange glint in her emerald eyes. He shook his head slightly and had to resist the urge to chuckle as he turned back to the surprised landlady who was now turning distressed.

"Kick the door down?" she asked, her voice growing. "My god, kids these days," she grumbled. She then pulled out a thick scroll from below the counter and her wand. With a flick from her wand, the scroll opened and Rosmerta began looking through the lists of names written in a tiny, sloppy scrawl. "Hmm, Room 14 you say. Whoever rented it, I'm going to kill them. Ah, Room 14…oh my god, Mr. Ian Rosier."

"Rosier?" Remus asked, surprised. "But he's been arrested."

"The charges come straight from his account," Rosmerta replied.

"Thank you," said Tonks briskly and pulled Remus away. "We've got to talk to Rosier."

"And quickly," said Remus in a quiet voice.

* * *

><p>For the past week, snow had continued to fall endlessly from the sky, all day long up until nightfall. It seemed to never stop and by mid-December, had built up nearly a foot of snow on the street. That was possibly one of the longest snowfalls Sirius had ever seen, and by far one of the most beautiful. Last winter, the snow came late and while it was freezing, it also echoed a sense of unbearable loneliness—he was still viewed as a convicted criminal then and had to watch the snowfall through the boarded up windows of the Shrieking Shack. One year later, he was able to roam the streets and stick his tongue out to catch the snow whenever he wished.<p>

On High Street, Sirius made a turn into Dowling Road where Silvia lived in a small flat part of a large, red brick building. He sighed. Walking to her house incidentally brought back plenty of memories. Sirius could still remember the very first time he and Silvia got close. The same exact thing had happened, but the outcome was quite different. He'd avoided her for a much longer time and spent that time mulling over his thoughts only to come to a decision of dating her—they ended up being together in a rocky relationship for five years until his sentence to Azkaban. Back then, she still lived with her family, before they were all killed in the war for helping and supporting Albus Dumbledore. She lived just a block away from Blue Street near the cemetery grounds—that was what Sirius remembered—in a two story house by the river, half a day's walk away from Godric's Hollow.

Caught up in his memories, Sirius had arrived at the front door of Silvia's apartment building before he even realized it. He looked up and backed away several steps to gaze at her window. It was still dark and there was no sign of life up there. He checked the wristwatch on his left arm and realized that it was still early in the morning—she may not be home yet.

_I should wait_, Sirius thought, _or I could come back another time._

Just when he was about to turn on his heels and head to the Three Broomsticks, he suddenly spotted Silvia appearing from down the street. She had at least twenty or so heavy scrolls in her hands, her leather brown robes disheveled and sloppily on, and her brown hair straightened itself in the chilling wind. The expression on her face showed that she'd been having a dismal day. The dark circles under her eyes showed that she was in a foul mood. Sirius had wanted to disapparate, but her eyes spotted him and he found himself unable to move.

Silvia walked faster. She was storming up to him, the heavy pile of scrolls tottering as she stomped. Still frozen, Sirius stood. She stopped several feet away from him, her usually gentle brown eyes held a reproachful glare towards him. Sirius stood with bated breath, waiting, wondering if she would hex him or do something.

"You!" she yelled, her voice rising. "SIRIUS BLACK! YOU HEARTLESS SCUM OF THE EARTH!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. Her voice was distorted by suppressed rage and her thickly laced Spanish accent made her scathing words harder for him to hear.

Preparing himself, Sirius cricked his neck and drew a deep breath. "Silv! Silv calm down. Please, listen to me." His voice was smooth and calming but it did not work on her that time.

"YOU! ARE A COMPLETE. ARSE! SIRIUS BLACK!" She shrieked. Out of spite and anger, she began throwing her scrolls at him, causing Sirius to have to duck and run around in circles in fear of getting maimed by the heavy objects.

"Stop it! I want to apologize!" he said, ducking from a heavy scroll aimed at his head.

"Hijo de puta!" he volume dropped momentarily as she caught her breath. "BLACK! VEN AQUI O TE ARRANCO LA CABEZA!"

"Bloody hell!" Sirius nearly whimpered as a scroll narrowly missed his groin.

Growing tired, Silvia huffed and stood there glaring at him. Sirius seized the chance to help her round up her scrolls and make sure they were all in his hands less he got hit with another one of those—they were dangerous when in the hands of an angry auror.

"Silv, calm down," he breathed, setting the scroll down on the ground beside him and taking her hands before they began drumming his chest. "Listen to yourself dear—you're screaming in Spanish!" She continued to glare at him. "I'm here to apologize."

"How could you do that to me? Sirius, we're bloody adults for god's sake," she said, suppressing her anger at him through clenched teeth. "If you think it's a mistake, just tell me. You didn't have to run away!"

"So you're angry because I hid for several days to think?" Sirius asked wryly.

"You had everyone so worried! And have you ever considered how I'd feel? What do you plan to accomplish? You ran away right after we—"

Sirius had suddenly held his hand over her mouth, muffling her speech and looking around warily, a bright blush appearing on his cheeks. He drew a breath, the vapors visible in the cold, icy air. "Silvia, I-I'm so sorry. You know how I am. I panic when it comes to these things!" he confessed, his expression sincere. "Still you didn't have to go throwing scrolls at me!"

"You humiliated me!"

He nodded and continued to apologize. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I know just apologizing won't make you feel better, but please, calm down," he pleaded. Sirius had been the only man on the face of the Earth to ever be on the receiving end of Silvia's outrage and it was difficult to sooth her when he himself didn't know how angry she could become.

"So what decision have you come to?" she asked in a raspy voice from screaming. "You ran away to think, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he said weakly, already knowing that she wouldn't like his answer. Sirius eyed the pile of scrolls warily.

"What decision have you come to? Would you like to humiliate me and play with my feelings for a little longer or stop there while you're already a mile ahead?"

"No, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to do that." Sirius sighed. His heart was beating a tattoo against the inside of his chest. Sirius clenched his hands and bit his lips, thinking over his words. He needed to tell her the truth of the decision he'd spent days thinking about. He had already wasted half his life. He didn't want to waste any more time making mistakes. That decision was final for him. With a swollen heart, Sirius said, "Silv, you're a wonderful woman and you deserve so much more than an ex-convict like me." He paused. He was sounding like Remus and began to feel hypocritical for nagging at Remus' repeated excuses over the years. "I would do anything for you, _anything_. I'd kill for you." His piercing grey eyes expelled the truest sincerity to her and it was growing harsh. "But…Silv I know love and…I've had enough of it. Now I just want to live and do all the things I never got around to doing. I would do anything for you Silv, but please understand. I want freedom…."

For a long while, she was stunned. Her mouth hung slightly open while warm brown eyes looked at him with an unreadable expression. "I understand," she suddenly said in a soft voice.

Sirius bit his lips.

Silence.

In the drawn out and thundering silence, Sirius watched as Silvia moved around him and bent down to pick up her scrolls. She suddenly seemed so tired and frail. He watched her and moved over to help her with the scrolls but she turned him away. "I got them," she said in a soft, scratchy voice—her throat had grown sore from the screaming. "Goodbye, Sirius," she said just as Sirius was about to ask if she was alright. "I'm alright, really," she said as if she'd read his mind. A broken smile formed across her lips and she turned away, heading up to her flat.

"Silvia," he called softly after her.

"I've got loads of work to do. I got my anger out so no need to worry," she called back.

Watching her go, Sirius suddenly felt even worse than when he first saw her. That wasn't what he'd expected. He expected himself to feel better after telling her, but he did not. Instead, his swollen heart felt like it had ruptured upon the upturned smile on her face. Silvia's eyes twinkled, yes, but the twinkle brought a sense of dread and gloom to him. Her soft voice and reticence scared and worried him more than when she was screaming at the top of her lungs at him. Sirius bit his lips, wanting to call her back but could not bring himself to do so. "I'm sorry," he simply whispered after her, barely able to raise his voice.

* * *

><p>There were about a million things she'd rather do at the moment than sit there in the middle of Azkaban Prison's interrogation room with Ian Rosier while thousands of dementors loomed like phantoms throughout the premise. Tonks would even rather sit through a detention with Severus Snape, the dreariest man alive—at least there she could have a laugh inside her head making fun of him. Sitting in Azkaban, she felt all the happiness slowly being sucked out of her. Even though there were no dementors inside the interrogation room and two guards stood outside with patronuses bouncing about, the dreadful feeling and the images of the dementors' scabby, skeletal hands and faceless heads still haunted her.<p>

Shifting in her seat, Tonks decided to hurry the interrogation up. She should have gone home with Silvia when she offered. Silvia had been there and her day had turned completely foul because of it. Tonks was the same and she cursed her stubborn self for not leaving earlier.

In an attempt to keep herself calm and focused, Tonks put her fingers together and leaned forward on the chair, placing her elbows on the table while glaring at the criminal across from her. He looked like a lifeless corpse, no longer like the haughty young man she'd seen him to be. He wouldn't have been there had he not admitted to being involved in the murder of Frank Bryce. Unfortunately, his confession didn't come with many details.

"Why did you confess to the murder?" Tonks asked, deciding to take on a new direction.

He looked up, his haunted eyes reminding her so much of Sirius' when he first escaped. "I was told to," he confessed in a low, raspy voice.

That bit Tonks knew. She wondered who the one who told Rosier to do so was. He would not tell her and no matter how hard she'd tried convincing him for an answer, still none came. "You don't have to be here you know. You could be out, living your life."

"He will come for me."

Her eyes lit up—that part was new. "Come for you? Did he promise you that?" she asked, carefully choosing her words so that he will give her an answer easily.

Rosier nodded. "They both promised."

"Are they trustworthy?" She figured if she didn't bring up any specific people, the names would just slip out of him.

There was a pause. "He is…but Crouch isn't."

She had to resist the urge to smirk as she leaned back in her seat. So Ian Rosier was definitely working with Crouch Jr. "Why do you think Crouch Jr. is untrustworthy?" she probed.

A low, rattling laugh came from Rosier's twisted and hollow smile. "He's _using_ his own father like a puppet. He's not even who he says he is. How can someone so full of deceit be trusted?" he asked her in a smooth voice, his eyes popping.

"_Using_ his father? Is his father hiding him?"

"Oh no," Rosier cackled insanely. "He's hidden in the safest place on Earth where even He Who Must Not Be Named can't get to him. But that's nothing to talk about. Crouch is loyal to the Dark Lord."

Tonks was on the edge of her seat, about to ask more when a sudden knock interrupted her progressing interrogation. "What?" she asked irritably.

Dawlish's voice sounded from the other side of the metal door saying, "Auror Tonks, we have to go. It's the dementors. They're growing…impatient."

In a difficult position, Tonks didn't want to endanger Dawlish and Savage who stood guard outside, but yet she still wanted more information from Rosier. She bit her lips and decided to see what she could make of the little but useful information she got. Tonks packed up her papers and stood up, gesturing for Rosier to follow.

"You don't have to be here you know," she said sympathetically to the ghost of a man.

"He will come," said Rosier with unwavering confidence.

They walked out of the interrogation room and was immediately joined and escorted by Dawlish and Savage with their individual patronuses bouncing around. Savage's patronus was a small, furry animal, a strange sight for an auror, while Dawlish was something Tonks couldn't quite make out because it was part-way from vapor form. Together, the three aurors walked Rosier back to his cell, passing many others on their way.

Tonks' eyes couldn't help but wander as she walked. She saw many familiar and infamous faces, some of which were ones she'd helped Mad-Eye catch while in training. When they came near a particularly quiet section of the prison, Tonks suddenly noticed an empty cell that the others took no interest in. Unable to stop, Tonks couldn't get a good look inside but she was quite certain that it was Sirius' jail cell from over a year ago—the torn Daily Prophet was still sitting in the corner with its faded black and white pictures moving on the page.

A short distance down, Tonks saw a face that made her do a double take while passing by. She'd thought for a moment that she saw her mother sitting in that cell, but the frail and insane woman inside turned out to be Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman was quiet, her eyes staring at a spot on the floor while she leaned on the rotting, dirty yellow wall in the back of the cell. Her eyes were dark, shadowed, and unreadable. Tonks' eyes lingered on her. Even though she felt a strong hatred for Bellatrix, the animosity and loathing could not prevent her from feeling a painful and stinging pull on her heartstring as she looked at the woman who was her maternal aunt. She looked so weak and broken inside that cell.

The sudden ringing of the charmed iron cell door closing removed Tonks from her reverie. She turned back to see that Dawlish and Savage had put Rosier into his cell and they were now quickly on their way out of the dismal prison. Tonks followed suit, resisting the urge from glancing back at Bellatrix Lestrange before she went.

After leaving the depressing sight of Azkaban Prison behind, Tonks did not return to her cubicle at work—instead, Tonks apparated home to her flat in London where Remus would be waiting. When she arrived, Tonks still felt that grey and unhinging feeling of Azkaban linger around her. It would just kill her if she was ever put on guard duty like several aurors had been. She couldn't stand being in that place for more than a day.

Up in her flat, Remus was waiting for her. When she opened the burgundy red door on the fifth floor, she found his pallid and tired pre-moon face buried behind a book, a scroll and quill floating beside him as he jotted down notes upon it. She smiled, glad to see that he was working and enjoying it by the smile on his face.

"Can I call you adorably dorky?" she asked, greeting him.

Remus looked up and smiled at her. "Adorably dorky?" he asked, setting his book and scroll down. He stood up and met her in the middle of the living room, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a gentle kiss upon her lips.

"You're laughing while reading your book."

"It's humorous," he defended.

Tonks shook her head. The lingering drear from Azkaban prevented her from saying much and her sudden silence and lack of responses was noticed by Remus immediately. "Is something wrong, love?" he asked her, sitting down beside her on the long grey sofa.

She saw no point in keeping it from him and so she sighed as she began to say, "I've gone to Azkaban today."

The smile he had on his face vanished within an instant. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now that I'm home," she answered.

Remus' hands took hers and he held them tightly against his chest. Tonks could feel his heart beating rapidly, pounding against his chest as he looked at her with a tinge of pink on his cheeks. He still felt flustered around her, despite being together for a while already. She couldn't help but smile as his blue eyes dilated and turned softer.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked in a velvet voice.

She shook her head. "It's fine," she smiled. "Oh, I spoke to Rosier."

"You spoke to Rosier?"

For a brief second she was lost in thought thinking about Bellatrix Lestrange's face. Fortunately when she left, she didn't stay long enough for the look to imprint itself into her memory and quickly, the heartbreaking image of her maternal aunt was vanishing from her thoughts. "Yes," Tonks replied, answering Remus' question after a moment. "Rosier is definitely working with Crouch Jr. and knows his whereabouts."

"What did he say?" asked Remus eagerly, shifting so he sat on the edge of the seat.

"Rosier said he's in a very safe place. That's not the helpful point though. Rosier said that Crouch Jr. was _using_ his father. I bet if we speak with Crouch Sr., we'll find something out."

"Unless if he'd brainwashed his father," said Remus. "We won't get anything off him."

"We could try. I could talk to Crouch's secretary or assistant or someone and ask to schedule a meeting with him. He _has_ to know something about his own son."

"What if he doesn't want to tell us, Dora? He knows that you're investigating his son. He would have said something by now, unless he had something to hide. What I'm wondering is where Crouch Jr. might be hiding. We were sure we saw him in Hogsmeade…"

"Yes, his face matched the pictures," said Tonks.

"What is the safest place in Hogsmeade?" Remus asked pensively.

Tonks' eyes began to wander while thinking. Her eyes fell upon the clock hanging on the wall across the room from them and she quickly put halt to everything in her mind. "Remus," she said, tapping him quickly. "We'll worry about this later. You're late."

He looked up. The clock had just turned six and Remus looked outside to see that the sunset was almost done. He'd forgotten that in the winter, the sun fell earlier, especially when it neared the winter solstice. Quickly, he got up and grabbed his jacket lying on the far armchair.

"I must hurry," he said. It was true. Whenever he was with Tonks, he'd forget that he was a werewolf and even forget that within minutes he'd be transforming. Somehow, when in love, the pains of transformation hurt a lot less. Everything hurt a lot less when in love. "Nymphadora, good night," he said quickly, placing a kiss upon her lips.

"Be safe," she said, walking him to the door. She wanted so badly to come with him, but she'd promised to only come in the morning, giving him reassurance that she wouldn't get hurt again by him. Tonks had decided that it was decent compromise, something she could live with, as long as Remus doesn't try to estrange himself from her again.

He was about to leave when lovers' longing took over him and he turned back to hold her face gently in his hands. Remus placed another kiss upon her, falling into a deep hold as their lips caressed each others' and their hearts swelled up with a very good feeling. Tonks lingered, enjoying the taste of firewhiskey and chocolate upon his lips. She smiled against him and felt deprived of something when he was forced to pull away. Mastering her heart to settle down, Tonks looked at him and smiled.

"I'll see you in the morning."

Remus nodded and walked backwards out of her flat. "Goodnight Nymphadora."

"Be careful," she called after him while still feeling the intense twisting of her heart. Her pounding heart was up to her throat now and she marveled at how she still felt the butterflies when she was already with him for so long. That was love.

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><p>Replies:<p>

RemusTonksFan: Thank you so much! And I'm glad you didn't find the chapter about the Blue Moon rather awkward xD Thanks for your support!

SuperWriterToTheRescue: It's perfectly fine, your reviews still mean a lot to me, thank you! And I'm sorry about your allergic reaction, I hope you feel better. As for my chapters, I write extremely fast so I can keep updating fast that's why but the quality of it is up to you and everyone who reads it to decide, thank you! As for Remus and Tonks, I always felt that if Tonks and Remus weren't stubborn like they are, their story would be soooo different, who knows. Thank you! xD


	24. Romancing in Hogsmeade

**Author's Note:**

I'm updating a little faster and a little more often than I normally do. I hope you don't mind. Thank you! xD Also, following the time of the story, it's Christmas while in reality it's June. I hope you don't mind a little Christmas in June :) Thanks so much for your support, everyone.

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><p><strong>Chapter 24 – Romancing in Hogsmeade<strong>

Despite the drear and depressing gloom that haunted Azkaban Prison, Tonks still found herself returning the next day, hoping to be able to further interrogate Ian Rosier. She went with Kingsley and Proudfoot—Dawlish and Savage weren't too willing to return to Azkaban for a second day straight as her escorts. Kingsley followed closely behind her while Proudfoot led the way. Proudfoot's patronus was strangely distorted, looking like a heavily-finned fish flopping around in front of them while Kingsley's well-formed lynx patronus followed from behind. Tonks' ethereal ferret was bouncing happily around her, pushing away the looming dementors.

Several dementors pulled back their hoods, drawing rattling breaths as if trying to suck more than air out of the room. Their faces were nothing but a gaping black hole, scabby and decaying. Their glistening hands, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, were reaching out for the aurors but the dancing patronuses would push them back. Simply looking at the dementors' soulless, evil appearance as they hovered around her and made the air colder than the iciest, frostiest winter; was depleting her of any positive thoughts and feelings. She felt cold and lost as she looked at the looming phantoms that were like tangible representations of _evil_ itself.

"Rosier's in there," said Kingsley. His reassuring voice sounded at the right time, easing Tonks' nerves a slight bit. "The dementors dragged him in. You might find it a little…difficult to speak to him though. I heard from the night guard they nearly kissed him last night."

Silently, Tonks nodded. She went onwards into the interrogation chamber while Kingsley and Proudfoot stood guard outside. The interrogation chamber was equally as depressing as the whole of Azkaban—a lone chamber with concrete walls, a clanking metal door, and bare in furniture with nothing but a dilapidated table, two chairs, and a dim, solitary light bulb swinging from the ceiling. The chamber was equally as cold and even more forsaken.

A soft, silent moan greeted Tonks as she came in. When her eyes fell upon Rosier who was seated rigidly on the chair, Tonks' heart and hopes of getting any information out of him fell. It wasn't that she cared for someone like him—it was just morally wrong and unhinging. Ian Rosier's face was gaunt and drained of blood. His eyes on the other hand, were bloodshot and popping. In his seat, he was trembling and his lips were mouthing words that came out as raspy whispers under his breath. It had only been a day and yet one day to her felt like a year to him.

"Rosier?" she called in a soft, quiet whisper.

He didn't look up. He seemed to not have even noticed her. Rosier continued mumbling to himself, speaking words that Tonks had to strain her ears to understand. It was as if there was a dementor looming in the room at that very moment, dragging rattling breaths and that brought Tonks to despair. She turned and checked. There was no one else but them.

"Rosier?" she called again, taking a seat in the chair across from him noiselessly.

As expected, no reaction came from him. Tonks quickly grew frustrated. Just yesterday she'd been able to hold a conversation with Rosier. Only a night had passed and some foul, wretched dementor had messed everything up for her. Tonks wanted to storm out and curse every single one of those filthy, soulless creatures into oblivion.

Tonks suddenly heard Rosier whisper something somewhat significant to her case. Jumping immediately on a thin thread of information, Tonks leaned forward across the table and said nothing, did nothing, while waiting for him to continue his mumbling. His voice was low, airy, and hollow. He seemed to be speaking to himself as if he was someone else, going through judgment of all the evil and immoral things he'd done. That was useful information for Tonks.

Her eyes were on him while her ears tried to listen to the nearly inaudible words escaping his breath. She made note of everything inside her mind and although his thoughts were in no comprehendible order, she could find meaning of them inside her head. It felt wrong to leave him in his dreadful reverie, but there was nothing she could do.

After what Tonks thought was not enough time, Kingsley knocked on the metal door outside, grabbing her attention. Rosier was unfazed, but the sudden noise and lack of echoing, abysmal silence made it difficult for Tonks to hear him.

"Yes?" she said, trying to keep her voice even and calm just for Kingsley's sake.

"Tonks, we need to go. The dementors are getting rowdy because of us."

She huffed and rolled her eyes. _Bloody dementors_, she mused as she got up and pushed the chair back into the table.

Before exiting the room, Tonks turned back and threw a glance at Ian Rosier. His dirty blonde hair was limp and his pointed pale face which usually wore a look of condescending disgust was hollow and empty. It was hard to believe that this man had once held Tonks' close friend Silvia's heart, married her, and stayed with her for three years. Leaving, Tonks found the entire concept of Azkaban Prison to be humanly wrong.

Following quickly behind Proudfoot and Kingsley who were both eager to get out of that dismal place, Tonks only had several seconds to glance at the cells that they passed by. Like the last time she was there, Tonks' attention was caught by Bellatrix Lestrange's cell. Tonks found Bellatrix sitting solemnly in her cell. She was faced the other way; her eyes appeared to be staring at the blank and dreadfully empty wall. She noticed Bellatrix's place card number tattooed onto the back of her neck. Looking at the woman that in harsh reality was her maternal aunt, Tonks' heart throbbed and pained. It was difficult to watch, especially when she'd realized that Bellatrix looked too much like her own mother. The only difference was that Bellatrix Lestrange had sharper, darker features and was now confined in an oppressive six by eight cell.

"Let's get out of here," said Kingsley with relief while taking out their portkey, a dented and old-looking galleon. Tonks and Proudfoot held onto him and in an instant, they vanished.

It was a shock and Tonks' mental balance was completely thrown off when they'd suddenly teleported from the forsaken Azkaban Prison to the Ministry's Atrium. The noise of the Atrium's usual business took Tonks by complete surprise and she ended up staggering slightly in her recovery. Proudfoot left quickly, saying he had to do something urgently.

"Thanks King," she said while pinching the bridge of her nose with a sigh. "God that was depressing. How do the aurors guarding Azkaban handle it?" she queried.

"I'm not quite sure but they alternate regularly so that's not as bad," Kingsley replied. His deep, reassuring voice echoed despite the noise of the Atrium. "Oh yes, Scrimgeour asked me to relay this message to you, Tonks. He asked you to meet him in his office today after we return from the interrogation—it's highly likely he wants an update on the progress."

"Well he's not getting much, that's for sure," said Tonks, beginning to head towards the lifts. "See you later Kingsley," she said, waving quickly to him.

Walking thoughtlessly with her mind still caught up from the trip to Azkaban, Tonks had not even realized that she'd arrived at level five by mistake, having gotten out earlier than she intended to. Sighing, she was about to head back into the lift when a red-headed young man suddenly caught her sight. The young man turned out to be Percy Weasley. A small smile appeared on her face. She'd been meaning to speak with Percy

"Percy," she called, having gotten on a first name basis with him from the frequent visits to the Burrow over the summer.

He stopped abruptly and turned around. Behind his horn-rimmed glasses, he wore a stoic expression and said her name in a voice short of breath. "Tonks," he breathed. "Anything I can help you with?" he asked cordially, distantly. It was a natural question to ask an auror standing in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, but the icy tone was unnecessary.

"Yes, I heard Arthur say you work under Barty Crouch."

"Mr. Crouch, yes," Percy smiled rather smugly.

"I was wondering if you can schedule me a meeting with him."

His smile dropped instantly. "I'm afraid I can't," he said without sounding warm or apologetic. "Mr. Crouch requested that he meets with no one—to recover his health faster."

"His health? I thought he's at Hogwarts, judging the Triwizard Tournament!"

"I'm not allowed to speak much about it," Percy replied. "Tonks, my apologies but it's not possible for me to schedule you a meeting with him."

Again with the distant tone, Tonks thought. She wondered why Percy must be so rigid. She and all of his brothers, actually she and his family knew each other—it wasn't as if they were strangers. Tonks briefly wondered if Percy dared act like this with his father at work but her thoughts were cut off when Percy bade his goodbye and seeing that nothing else could be done and there was no way Percy could help her, Tonks returned to the lift.

Several seconds later inside the fast moving lift, Tonks arrived at level two and exited the lift along with several folded purple paper airplanes—interdepartmental memos—flying above her head. Walking with ungainly strides, Tonks made her way to Rufus Scrimgeour's office. She knocked once and having been expecting her, Scrimgeour's door creaked open.

"I expected you sooner." Rufus Scrimgeour looked too much like an old lion that day—his grey-streaked mane of tawny brown hair somehow looked a lot fluffier than normal. "Auror Tonks," he called, removing from her reverie. Tonks jumped and Scrimgeour's keen, yellowish eyes behind his wire-rimmed spectacles narrowed. "Did you hear the question I asked you?"

Tonks bit her lips nervously. In all honesty, she hadn't heard a word he said. She was too busy fussing over how fluffy his hair was. Tonks paused. At least that childish and distracting though helped her recover from Azkaban's lingering malevolence. "Sorry sir, can you repeat the question?" Tonks replied in a low voice.

"What progress are you making with your case, _Auror Tonks_," he said firmly.

"To be honest with you, sir, we're not making any progress at all," said Tonks conversationally. "From what I said last time, we had our suspicions on Alastor Moody. Just a short while ago I was interrogating Ian Rosier and he seemed to be saying that Moody and Crouch are connected in some way and—"

Scrimgeour interrupted her before she could finish. "Auror Tonks, please enlighten me. I am unable to comprehend _why_ you would consider Alastor Moody a part of all this. I assigned you, Auror White, and Miss Black to look for Crouch Jr., not to make silly accusations."

"But it's _not_ silly," Tonks retorted. "There's something wrong with him."

"Alastor had always been quite out of the ordinary," said Scrimgeour, attempting to sound as professional as he could while describing a madman—Tonks had always thought of Moody as a madman, whether he was normal or not. "He's currently teaching at Hogwarts. How would he be involved with your investigation?"

"Barty Crouch had been sighted at Hogsmeade!" said Tonks, her frustration flaring at Scrimgeour's inability to consider things she had to say. "I _saw_ him! I _chased_ after him!"

"And who else do you have as your witness? How can I believe that you're not just making up this nonsense to deceive me into thinking that you're _actually_ making some progress on your case?" the old lion questioned with a judgmental tone on his tongue.

"Remus Lupin was with me! If you don't consider him a reliable source then you're a blind old man!" she said, not watching her sharp tongue.

"Auror Tonks! Watch your words carefully," he warned, his voice growing dangerously low. "I am not a friend and will not take your words lightly."

"You're not taking me seriously either," Tonks retorted curtly.

"Don't make up nonsense," he sighed. "Go back to your work," he ordered.

"Your trust for Moody has got you blinded!" Tonks hissed. Moody's lessons of being an auror were repeating inside her head over and over again, his mentoring voice echoing through her mind. It gave her a headache and possibly because of her visit to Azkaban earlier, Tonks wasn't filtering her thoughts properly and her scalding words became audible. "You're not even fit to be an auror—sitting in this neat little office while others work their weary arses off!" She hadn't meant to say those things aloud and knew immediately that her slip of tongue was costly.

"Auror Tonks, I am issuing you a warning letter for misconduct," said Scrimgeour smoothly. He pulled out a drawer on the side of his desk and from there took out a small scroll and handed it to her as if he'd been meaning for her to receive it for a while. "That, I believe, is your third one," he said as Tonks took the scroll with a glare. "After the holiday, you will follow Dawlish to guard Azkaban Prison. You will be on duty for one whole week. That is all."

Seeing that he was done and not wanting to get herself into any more trouble with her sharp tongue, Tonks decided to head out. Upon her exit, Tonks had stumbled once over his umbrella stand and grumbled as she slammed the door shut harder than she'd expected.

"Bloody hell," Tonks groaned, face-palming herself and crumpling the letter in her hand.

* * *

><p>Coming home that evening, Tonks wore the face of a woman whom had had a very bad day. She couldn't prevent herself from glaring at everything her eyes fell upon. When she passed by a window and saw her reflection, Tonks was surprised to see the scowl that seemed permanently pressed upon her face. She quickened her pace, longing to get home and fall asleep, forgetting about the events of the dreadful day.<p>

When she arrived inside the lobby of her apartment building, a surprise awaited her. Incidentally, she'd run into Remus and Sirius who were just returning from Remus' small flat in Surrey. Initially she was happy to see them until she caught the stench of heavy alcohol and the bright flushes on their cheeks. Remus was blushing profusely while Sirius couldn't escape from a hysterical fit of laughter.

Having a short temper that day, Tonks ended up scolding at her cousin. It was only the day after the full moon and Remus was still recovering but yet Sirius had decided to bring firewhiskey over to him and convince him to drink the entire bottle with him. Both men weren't dazedly drunk, but the alcohol would do Remus no good and Tonks thought Sirius knew that.

She ended up nagging at her irresponsible cousin all the way up to their floor. Poor Remus was caught in the crossfire and stood with a dull expression between his girlfriend and his best friend when the lift opened. Sirius stepped out first, rolling his eyes at Tonks while wondering why her temper was so short that day. Usually, she didn't mind his addiction to firewhiskey. Remus on the other hand, asked her directly.

"Nymphadora," Remus called. He paused at her angry glare. "H-how are you?"

Looking into his gentle and ardent blue eyes, Tonks couldn't hold up her negative feelings for long. In a defeated sigh, she shook her head and discreetly shifted so that she walked closer to him as they headed down the corridor towards her flat. "Dementors tried to kiss Rosier last night. I got no information from him today," she said glumly.

Remus sounded surprised when he said, "You went back to Azkaban?"

She nodded. "We needed information and we were making progress."

He sighed and took hold of her hand. Gently, he weaved his fingers around hers and held on tightly. Tonks having to go to Azkaban to interrogate a prisoner for information was troubling enough. Returning a second time—Remus couldn't blame her terrible mood. He suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out an unopened bar of chocolate, broke off a large piece after tearing off the gold foil, and handed it to her. Tonks took the milk chocolate gladly, not even questioning why Remus always had chocolate with him. "Come on love," he said softly. "Let's not let the sight of the dementors depress you."

Tonks nodded solemnly and walked in front of Sirius to unlock their door, wondering if Alexis was home yet. A click sounded from the burgundy door. "Sorry, Sirius," she said in a low voice, wanting to apologize for snapping at him earlier.

"It's quite alright," he said, smiling slightly.

When they stepped into the quiet flat, the first realization they had was that it was warmer than expected. Tonks' and Remus' eyes then fell upon the two people sitting beside the warm fire with dancing orange flames that flooded a warm glow throughout the room. Alexis sat with her legs crossed, an empty wine glass in her hand and an empty bottle of whiskey in another—her tolerance for alcohol was ungodly! In the other armchair beside the fire was Silvia, wrapped up in a grey shawl with swollen red eyes and a box of tissues. She'd been crying.

"Wotcher," said Tonks softly, wondering why Silvia had been crying.

The beautiful Spanish auror stood up abruptly, her eyes not on Tonks or Remus—they were fixated upon Sirius who stared back. Hastily, Silvia wiped the stains of tears from her eyes, fixed her shawl, and put on a bright smile. Alexis stood up as well, directing them over to the dinner table in which food magically appeared upon it, reminding them of Hogwarts for a brief second. Tonks was quite surprised.

"Dinner," said Alexis quickly, whisking Silvia over to the table while Sirius, Remus, and Tonks followed suit in silence.

Remus cleared his throat subtly, no doubt feeling uncomfortable in the prolonged silence. "Lexi, did you make all this today?" he asked warmly.

"Silv helped me," she smiled while taking her seat.

Once again, silence overwhelmed them and for a long time, nothing sounded besides the noises of the chairs scratching against the floor and the chinks of the cutlery against plates. Tonks who often exchanged glances with Remus were looking around the dinner table. Sirius constantly stole glances at Silvia who was looking at nothing but her plate. Alexis seemed to be the only one at ease in the entire group. She was simply eating her steak and drinking her whiskey with a casual look.

"So…um…Silv, how are you?" Tonks asked having grown tired of the silence.

"Wonderful," she said—it was an obvious lie. "I was just having a conversation with Lexi earlier. That was quite enlightening."

Tonks nodded, unsure of what else to say.

"Nymphie how was work?" Sirius asked, trying hard to help the conversations at the table flow. He continued to steal glances at Silvia and seemed more like he was speaking to her than he was to Tonks.

Briefly, Tonks threw a glance at Remus. She decided that it was best to tell everyone what she'd found out at work and what trouble she'd managed to get herself into afterwards. Tonks drew a deep breath before answering, "I went to speak to Rosier in Azkaban today." Sirius tensed visibly. Silvia's head bent so low, her nose nearly touched her food. Alexis did not move nor seemed to have react but Remus noticed that her grip on her glass of whiskey had tightened. "Dementors tried to kiss him last night so I couldn't get much out of him. Actually, I couldn't ask him anything at all." Tonks paused to look around. She held everyone's rapt attention. "He was talking err-mumbling to himself though. He mentioned Crouch and how Crouch had escaped Azkaban. I couldn't exactly hear how but I heard Bellatrix's name. He kept repeating this."

They lapsed into silence once again but it quickly dissolved into a conversation.

"_Why_ would you ever come anywhere near that hellish place?" Sirius asked.

"Ian Rosier was probably trying to find a way of escaping and thought of the only person he knew who had escaped and that was Crouch Jr.," said Silvia pensively.

"Why'd he mention Bellatrix's name?" Alexis asked, seeming to have been oblivious to all other details, something not like her.

Sirius stood up. "_Why_ would you go to _Azkaban_?" he asked again in a louder voice.

Remus was quiet beside Tonks and she appreciated his silence. Under the table, he'd taken her hand and held it, lacing his fingers with hers and caressed her finger gently. For some reason, Tonks found this gesture oddly relaxing and was luckily not overwhelmed by the three questioning and speaking to her at the same time.

"I agree with Silvia," Tonks began, choosing to reply to Silvia's comment first. "Rosier had said that You-Know-Who would come get him. He's very sure of it, and Crouch had escaped so that's constantly going through his mind." Tonks then turned to Alexis. "I don't know why he mentioned Bellatrix Lestrange's name. I just heard him mention her several times."

"He might be getting help from her," Alexis spoke—she sounded more like she was speaking to herself. "Or maybe Bellatrix helped Crouch escape."

"We won't find out anything certain until I question her," said Tonks.

"_You_ question her?" Remus spoke up that time. "Nymphadora, that's crazy!"

"Nip it!" Sirius yelled, his voice booming as he demanded their attention. His eyes shifted back to Tonks and Sirius' haunted grey eyes were more popping than it had ever been. "_WHAT _were you doing in Azkaban?"

"I told you," Tonks snapped. "Sirius I was there for work. I needed to interrogate Rosier. And besides, what's to worry about Azkaban?" She paused, quickly remembering that there was a lot to worry about, for instance: the constant threat of having one's soul sucked out and eaten by the foulest creatures to ever walk the Earth.

"Azkaban is a _prison_, a place for punishment. You shouldn't just walk in there whenever you please," said Sirius in a voice she'd never heard him use before. It was so stern and grim—it didn't sound like Sirius speaking at all. "I don't care what information you need. I don't care if your entire investigation defended upon it. Promise me you won't go anywhere near Azkaban."

"Sirius, this is work," Tonks tried to argue.

For the very first time, Tonks heard Sirius use a voice that startled her. "Nymphadora Tonks, promise me right now!" he demanded, putting his fist on the table.

Remus' grip on Tonks' hand tightened slightly and his caressing of her finger came to a sudden pause. His eyes were fixated upon his friend whom he'd never seen act this protective. They all understood why of course. Sirius had been there, in Azkaban, for twelve years. He understood the horrors of the place and the feeling of having a piece of oneself die away each day. Azkaban was like a never-ending nightmare. Sirius knew the decay and despair better than all of them…and he had a tattoo on the back of his neck to prove it.

Feeling guilty and with great discomfort, Tonks said, "Promise." She knew she was going to have to go back, if not by her own accord then by the Ministry's jurisdiction. Seeing how Sirius had reacted so greatly over news of her making one visit, Tonks had decided to not tell him about her third warning letter and how after the holiday, she would have to guard Azkaban for a whole week upon Scrimgeour's orders.

After Sirius had calmed down, the rest of dinner proceeded quietly. Tonks would speak with Remus quietly in hushed voices as if afraid that if she spoke any louder, Sirius might snap again. They were careful to talk of only simple things like the freezing weather and nothing else.

Once the dishes were cleared away, Tonks and Remus were about to leave for a stroll and Alexis was about to head off to her date with Marrick, leaving Sirius and Silvia alone together. They were called back by Sirius before they could leave when out of a desperate attempt to not be left awkwardly alone with Silvia, he mentioned that Andromeda and Ted would be coming over for Christmas and they still haven't decorated their flat nor even cleaned it. Sighing, Remus, Tonks, and Alexis had decided to stay for a bit longer, gloomily pulling out dusty boxes of Christmas decorations from the closet.

The decoration process began in quite a dreary state. Sirius had attempted to avoid Silvia for a while but his feeble attempts were futile when she'd suddenly begin speaking to him again in a friendly manner. Sirius returned her comfort with that of his own. Seeing that Sirius and Silvia had begun to speak to each other again, Remus, Tonks, and Alexis all felt relieved. Before long, the decoration process took a turn for the better. Holiday songs were playing on the record player in the background while Sirius began dancing around with colorful tinsels and blinking ornaments hanging off of himself. Remus joined in and wrapped silver tinsel around Tonks' head and a bright metallic blue one around his own. Sirius had linked arms with Silvia and the two were dancing around to _Jolly Old Saint Nicholas_. Hysterical laughter broke out when Alexis began taking pictures and they were all fighting over the main spotlight, making weird faces into the old-fashioned camera. Under the waning moon, the evening had taken a turn for the better.

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><p>The mirthful Christmas spirit, although forgotten under piled up stress and troubles at her flat in London, was not lost in Hogsmeade. As Alexis roamed the busy and rowdy High Street of Hogsmeade that was filled with many witches and wizards shopping for items on their Christmas lists, she felt exceptionally happier than she had when she was at home earlier that evening. It could be because of the warm, holiday atmosphere that consumed the town and in turn devoured her, or it could be because of the charming young man whose hand was intertwined with hers.<p>

"You're quiet today," Marrick pointed out. "More quiet than normal," he added for his lover had always been secretly a taciturn woman mainly due to her Unspeakable background.

"Thinking," she replied in a gentle voice.

"About what?" he wondered.

"About why we can't be like this more often," she answered. "Have you noticed that lately when we're together, all we do is fight?" Her fights with Marrick often bring her stress and frustration she does not want. To get the ill-feelings away from her, Alexis often searches for things to laugh and smile about. Coincidentally, no one could comfort her better and make her laugh harder than Fred and George Weasley, the latter especially. Each time she was stressed by anything at all, she would come to Hogsmeade in secret hopes of finding the twin jokesters. Alexis ended up spending more time with the young hellions than with her own boyfriend.

"We have too many differences," said Marrick while running a hand through his soft brown hair. He put on a sweet smile for her when he looked down at her earnestly puzzled face.

"Do you think it's bad?" she questioned in an innocent sing-song voice she only ever used around him. "Is it bad that we're so different?"

Marrick spent a short moment in thought and then said, "No. They say opposites attract." He placed his arm around her shoulders and held her closer as they walked together down the busy road of High Street with the sweet-smelling fragrant of butterbeer floating around. "Besides, we always somehow make up. I trust it'll continue to be like so in the future."

"There's a good possibility," she smiled, resting her head on his shoulder in comfort.

"One thing I could never understand is how you're able to think after our arguments and lead the way to resolutions. In school, you'd hold a grudge against every little thing I do…."

"Are you trying to say that I'm rancorous?" she questioned with a smirk.

"No, of course not," he replied honestly but flustered.

Alexis chuckled. "We're five years out of school love—I've grown," she simply replied. The only reason Alexis was always able to see his side of their arguments was because of George Weasley. She always confided in George and George would take her side but also reveal to her what Marrick could be thinking, helping her accept his way of thought. Marrick never knew how often Alexis met up with George and she found no point in telling him—he was her boyfriend but not the master of her life; he didn't need to know everything.

Suddenly, Marrick shifted and took something out of his pocket with speed. He held his gleaming silver auror badge in his hand, reading the back of it and the message magically inscribed. Alexis watched him closely. When his eyes grew worried, her happiness plummeted.

"Love," he began, sounding apologetic already. "I have an emergency at work."

"What about?"

"It's for my case," he said while wearing a rueful face. "I have to go dear. I'm so sorry. We just found a new lead." He held her hands up to his chest, wordlessly hoping she wouldn't blame him for having to leave in the midst of a date.

"Go," she sighed. "Work is important," she said, saying the words he wanted to hear despite her own displeasure at saying them.

With a small, distorted smile, Marrick backed away and disapparated with a faint _pop_. As he vanished into thin air, Alexis felt a thought stride through her mind. Marrick could come to her unexpectedly and he could leave her just as fast and unexpectedly. It was a dark thought with a scary sense of foreboding she would rather not think about. Alexis abruptly fell out of her reverie when she thought someone had called her name from somewhere close.

She'd confirmed that she wasn't going mental and hearing voices in her head when her dark brown almost black eyes fell upon Narcissa Malfoy, walking up to her from behind. When Narcissa saw her, the icy look in her eyes softened significantly and she was smiling. Seeing Narcissa smile was no longer a strange sight. The war was over. He Who Must Not Be Named was defeated by Harry. And Narcissa was still her aunt despite the distance.

"Good evening," Narcissa greeted.

"Good evening," Alexis smirked. "If I recall correctly, it's not Hogsmeade weekend."

"A woman needs no excuse to go shopping," Narcissa replied warmly.

Caught in the Christmas spirit, Alexis felt giddier than normal. She laughed softly at Narcissa's words and nodded in agreement. "Andromeda taught Tonks and me the same logic."

"She and I _had_ grown up together. There are bound to be some similarities between siblings and those who've shared an age as beautiful as childhood together."

"So you're saying that you might possibly be as obnoxious and ridiculous as Sirius?"

"I prefer not to admit to that," she replied, hiding a smirk. "How is he anyways, Sirius?"

"He's doing fine. People don't run away from him anymore on the streets; that's good news. Sirius is having some relationship issues with a very wonderful woman right now. He's in a strange mood. It'll resolve itself in due time though so no need to worry."

Alexis glanced at Narcissa through the corners of her eyes and knew that the woman was trying hard not to question whether Sirius' significant other was a pureblood or not. She was quite glad Narcissa had managed to push that question away when she asked, "What about you then? That boy earlier, I see you with him but he's always leaving."

"He's…my boyfriend," she replied. "He's always busy with his work so that's why he's always leaving me," she explained, looking at her feet.

"That's how Lucius always is too," Narcissa sighed, her first confession in her niece.

Caught slightly off guard, Alexis looked up at her aunt. She was growing more comfortable around Narcissa but not to the point where secrets can be exchanged. However, hearing something like that from the usually icy woman was a good sign. Wittingly, Alexis decided to trail off with deliberation of keeping the discussion spotlight away from herself.

"Your husband, Lucius, is he busy with outside of work…activities?"

Narcissa knew where Alexis wanted to go with their conversation and treaded on carefully. "Lately, yes," she said, consciously dropping a hint. "It's been…difficult."

Alexis placed a comforting hand upon Narcissa's shoulder. "Can't you just get out?"

"It's not that simple," Narcissa replied with a sorrowful tone.

There was a long silence that followed until Alexis decided to break it. She looked up at the shining lights of the merry town then allowed her wandering eyes to ascend towards the velvet star-strewn sky of night. "For the moment, he'd have nothing to worry about unless he knows where Crouch Jr. is hiding." Alexis' words were conversational but Narcissa knew her niece's underlying meaning. It was a warning. If her husband was involved with Crouch, he'd have to look out for the aurors. If not, he'd have a little more time until trouble comes knocking.

"I don't know much about Crouch Jr.," Narcissa said. "But we have more to worry about than the Ministry of Magic taking action…fear makes you do terrible things," she added weakly. Before Alexis could say another word, Narcissa suddenly cleared her throat. "If you want to know more about Bartemius…I suggest you speak with Rodolphus or Bellatrix. They were with him when he was captured…they'd know."

"Bellatrix again," Alexis sighed, having remember what Tonks had said at dinner.

"Hey, it's Lexi!" Someone called from ahead. It was a very familiar voice.

"Lexi!" Another voice called her name, nearly identical to the first.

Both Alexis and Narcissa looked up to see the Weasley twins rush towards her wearing bright smiles on their faces. Narcissa suddenly shifted uncomfortably and turned to face Alexis directly. "I must go," she said. "I see you have…other company."

"Can't you stay?" Alexis asked despite knowing clearly that Narcissa still held a sense of discrimination against impure blood and muggle-borns. The entire Weasley family was long considered to be blood traitors by the pureblood families and it was obvious Narcissa didn't want to associate to those branded as _blood traitors_. "They've kind boys," Alexis said.

"No, I must go, my apologies," Narcissa said, backing away. "Maybe…one day…."

Alexis nodded. "Wait," she said again. "H-happy Christmas," she finally managed to say.

A fleeting smile appeared on Narcissa's face and she replied, "Happy Christmas," in a voice too much like Andromeda's.

"Who was that?" George asked while walking up to Alexis with his twin right after Narcissa had disapparated.

"She looks familiar," said Fred.

"She's a relative," Alexis smiled softly. "We were exchanging Christmas greetings."

"Least she seems mildly normal," said George.

"All our relatives are lunatics," said Fred.

"Oh trust me," Alexis laughed. "My deranged family is far from normal." She began walking with them. "So what are you two hellions doing here? It's not Hogsmeade weekend."

"Hogsmeade weekend or not, it doesn't matter to us now that we've got your ghost necklace," George grinned.

Alexis smiled and playfully pushed him. "What is your motive in Hogsmeade then?"

"Oh you know," said Fred. "We're on the pull," he smirked deviously.

"You up for it?" George asked her in a low, teasing voice while wiggling his eyebrows. His cheeks were flushed pink but he seemed to not have even realized how hard he was blushing while following in his twin's joke.

Her mouth fell open upon his words and Alexis playfully pushed him again. "You little jerk!" she gasped jokingly. "Who do you think I am?"

"Obviously a very hard-to-get woman," Fred teased.

"Insanely difficult," George added, his voice lacking the low, teasing tone.

Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Alexis continued to walk with the twins, joking and goofing around with them as the night went on. When she felt lonely or needed a friend, somehow, those two would always be there. Even when she was having a pleasant day, the two troublemakers always somehow make it better. It was an effect they have on people, she guessed.

* * *

><p>It was late in the evening. Outside in the starry, starry sky, the twinkling stars seem to be dancing as puffs of dark grey clouds rolled on by. The night air was cold and freezing but inside; the fire burning under the mantel kept the room warm and drowned it in a soft fire light with its dancing orange and yellow flames. It was getting late and Silvia had said that she should go home. She'd said this an hour ago. For some reason, Sirius held her back and together, they further decorated the Christmas tree to the point of it looking <em>overdone<em>. They didn't talk much. They simply hung ornaments and tinsel and lights onto the pine-scented tree in the corner of the living room while listening to Christmas carols over the wireless.

"We're out of ornaments," Silvia said, reaching into the box and finding none left.

"We have yet to put the star on," Sirius said while crawling on his knees over to her with the large, glittering and magically shining star in his hand. "And we can't levitate it because it's not traditions," he added. "So someone will have to put it on by hand."

"Go on then," said Silvia, waiting for him to put it on.

Sirius looked at her. She stared back.

"Well?" said Silvia, wondering what was taking him so long.

Little did she know…Sirius had once again lost himself staring into her warm chocolate eyes. He wondered what she was thinking and found himself wondering if he'd ever crossed her mind. Despite his wish for freedom and choosing freedom over a relationship with her, Sirius found it harder than ever to be in her presence and keep himself from coming closer to her. It was terribly difficult. He wondered why love was so hard to turn away from. It wasn't as if he needed it to live, did he?

"Sirius?" she called softly. He loved it whenever she called his name. "You alright?"

Falling back to reality, Sirius jumped slightly and nodded. "Oh, yes," he replied, clearing his throat. "Um, oh the star…I uh, I don't want to put it on. You do it."

A smile fell upon her lips but it seemed suppressed. Sirius felt that Silvia was having a hard time holding herself back as well. Undeniably, they were on the same wavelength. Nervously, Silvia adjusted her grey shawl over her blank blouse, avoiding his eyes. "Sirius, it's your home," she said, looking up at the tree.

"Isn't the man of the family supposed to put it on? Well I'm not much of a family man."

"What are you talking about, Sirius?" she asked with a sigh.

He himself didn't know where he was going with his words. Sirius just knew that they were spilling out of his mouth without his control. "I'm saying how I'm not much of a family man. I mean, who'd want to have a family with me? I'd make a terrible father or husband…."

Silvia was confused by his words as was he. She sat down on the floor beside the tree and Sirius lowered himself down to her. They sat staring at each other for a moment, resisting the temptation to come closer. "How can you determine whether you'd be a good father and husband or not?" she asked him. "Besides, you're already a father. You're Harry's godfather."

"I'm not much help to him, am I?" he laughed dryly. "The boy has to battle dragons. In February, the second task comes and who knows what else he'll have to face?"

Silvia looked down. "You never know unless you try. If you never try, you'll never know. Getting married and becoming a parent is stepping into a new phase of your life…new adventures, new experiences…."

"Why are you so eager to get out of the phase of life you're in now?" he asked gently. "What's so wrong with it? You're free to do whatever you want."

She smiled but sadly. "I don't know about you," she said, "But I've grown tired of being lonely. No matter what you do in the day, in the night when you come back to an empty house and crawl into an icy bed, you start wishing that you had someone there to share all the memories with you."

"Don't tell me you're lonely," Sirius said softly.

Silvia nodded. "I am," she admitted.

He bit his lips and gazed at her for a long time. It was definitely a hard fact for him to believe. Her beauty is extraordinary, like no other, and everlasting. Sirius could not understand why she would feel so lonely.

"You can get any man you want. You can get the best man in the world to fall in love with you," he said. "Why do you feel so lonely?"

"You can't _choose_ to fall in love, Sirius," she said in a wistful voice. "Love just comes…unexpectedly and sometimes unyieldingly. You may end up falling in love with someone completely wrong for you. It's not something you can decide." When she looked up and looked into his eyes, Sirius froze. The moment when brown eyes met grey was the moment when Sirius felt his heart stop. His foolish heart stopped momentarily then raced to catch up on the missing beats. It was throbbing so loud, he could hear the increasing rhythm drum against his chest. His stomach was in knots and his insides all messed up—the butterflies were stirring up a storm. He looked back at her and wondered if she felt the same way. Her eyes dilated.

Sirius cleared his throat subtly and broke his gaze. For a short moment he stared at the gleaming star in his hand. The next, he grinned and looked back up at her, attempting to forget all about the temptation to get close to her, to hold her and to kiss her again.

"Let's put the star on now," he said. "You put it on."

She followed suit and forced a smile. "Alright," she said, standing up and rolling her eyes. Silvia took the star out of his hand and attempted to reach the top of the tree but she could not no matter how far she stretched her arm and how high she stood on her tip-toes. "I'm falling a little short," she said with a nervous chuckle.

"I'll help," said Sirius. Without thinking, he wrapped his arm around Silvia's waist and lifted her up. She was so frail, so light that he didn't feel strained at all. Sirius lifted her so that she could reach the top of the tree and finally put the star the very top. Once it was firmly set into place, the star twinkled and glowed, emitting rays of shimmering golden light in all directions. It was beautiful and all of a sudden, there was a feeling of warmth that enveloped both their hearts like they were being wrapped in warm satin.

When Sirius let her down, he was unable to force himself away. His arms remained wrapped around her waist and Silvia was looking into his eyes. Their heartbeat fell into rhythm.

"I'm sorry," Sirius apologized right before he leaned closer and vanquished the tiny distance between them. Once again, he captured her lips with his and caressed them gently. Their kiss was very loving and gentle although the suppressed feelings were bursting on its seams, about to explode. Their lips glided back and forth, tugging and pulling, playing and teasing each other. Soon their kiss deepened and Sirius could taste her sweetly. Eventually, their hands strayed upon bare soft skin and the world was shut out entirely.

* * *

><p>The entire walk, Tonks had been abnormally silent. Remus followed her, holding her hand as they traipsed from one street to another. There was no destination in mind and usually Remus didn't mind that. However, on that cold winter night, so close to Christmas, Tonks' silence was killing him secretly inside. He wondered why she'd grown so taciturn. Could something be troubling her that she did not want to tell him? Eventually, the curiosity and worry caught up with him—it always does—and so he decided to ask her.<p>

"Nymphadora," he said, gently removing her from her thoughts and bringing her attention to him. "What's on your mind love?"

She had something to say but it seemed hard for her to say it. Tonks' lips quivered as she was about to form a word but she closed them again, thinking. A moment flitted by and finally Tonks revealed to him her thoughts, "I was lying to Sirius at dinner," she said.

Remus' eyebrows furrowed together. "Lied? About what?" His voice was still gentle.

"Azkaban," she answered quietly. "I'm going back there."

"Nymphadora," he called, holding her back and not taking a step further. "Please don't go. Unlike Sirius, I've never seen the prison first-hand, but I've read about it enough to know that it's not a place _anyone_ should be put in."

"This isn't my decision to make, Remus," she replied. "I accidentally crossed the line with Scrimgeour today and was issued my third warning. I'm sentenced to guard Azkaban for a week after the New Year under jurisdiction of the Ministry," she sighed.

Remus felt his heart drop. He looked at her and he could see that she didn't want to go back there at all. Like Tonks said, it wasn't her decision to make. "Is there anything you can do to revert it?" She shook her head. "Can you do something else instead of guarding Azkaban?"

Tonks shook her head again. "Every auror is subject to it," she said solemnly.

"It's out of our hands now, isn't it?" Remus asked in a defeated voice. He couldn't think of any way to help Tonks get out of guarding Azkaban. From what Sirius had told Remus about the prison, it was hell. Not even criminals deserved to be sent there. A quick and merciful death was a much more moral option than being sentenced to Azkaban, but that was the fault in their society—the punishments were merciless. "What days are you there for?" he asked.

"January third to the seventh," Tonks replied, looking down at her feet.

"What did you say or do to Rufus Scrimgeour that crossed the line?"

"I called him a fool, an idiot, for trusting Moody and refusing to take us seriously."

Remus sighed and placed both hands tenderly upon her shoulders. Despite the cold weather and frosty air, the warmth of his palms could be felt by her. She looked into his eyes, gazing deeply into those alluring blue eyes as he spoke, drinking in his every word with intense interest. "We don't need Scrimgeour to believe us at the moment. When we find evidence, he will have to anyways," said Remus gently to her.

"I just felt it unfair for us that he's not taking us seriously." She looked up at him, wondering how he could take it for so many years. "I can't stand people doubting me…."

She hadn't even thought it possible but his eyes grew softer. "You don't have to force yourself to be the leader and have people follow you, my love. There's nothing wrong with being invisible. What matters is that in the end, you rise above the rest in your own way."

Tonks nodded and shifted into his arms, holding him. "I don't want to go back there."

"I don't want you to either," he said. "No one does."

"Every time I go there, I feel absolutely miserable," she said, breaking down her resolve in front of him. She trusted him. She trusted him to the point where she felt perfectly comfortable allowing him to see all the sides of her, including the side she considered weak and annoying.

"Numerous witches and wizards have lost their sanity there, love. You're not alone," he said grimly. Remus paused and decided that mulling over such depressing thoughts was not a very wise decision. "If you ever feel down, I will bring you back up," he promised, holding her face with his warm palms while visible vapors of their breath escaped into the cold air.

"You'll cheer me up?" she asked in an airy, childish voice.

He nodded. "Anything to bring a smile to your face," he assured her.

Already, a small smile twisted across her mouth. Tonks held his hands and looked at him, drinking in his every feature and memorizing them inside her mind. "What do you say we cheer ourselves up first tonight?" she asked. "It's nearly Christmas and yet we're all drawn and dreary. If this keeps going, we might as well have Christmas dinner with Snape and keep him company."

Remus chuckled. "Keep Severus company? Love, I'm not a very good dinner guest."

"Neither is Sirius but does he ever stop eating?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

His eyes dilated and he was smiling. "The night is still young," he breathed. "We should go somewhere…but where?"

"I have an idea," said Tonks, taking his hand and dancing down the street. "Remus, do you like color?" she questioned.

He looked at her, his eyes taking in all the colors she was wearing. Her hair was neon pink, glowing under the starry sky. Her coat was forest green and silver lined her hems. The t-shirt she wore below her coat was plum colored and her scarf was bright, flaming orange while her shoes were leather brown. Nymphadora Tonks was the tangible definition of _colorful_.

"I love color," he smiled.

"Brilliant. Come on love," she said, taking his hand. "We're apparating."

Before Remus could fully prepare himself for the uncomfortable squeeze of apparition, Tonks had already used side-along apparition with him. A loud _crack_ sounded, bolting through the night sky with their departure. Remus and Tonks then arrived, appearing out of thin air, in a small, narrow alleyway between two relatively new and grey-stoned building. They were squeezed and had to push themselves out with great difficulty.

"Alright, I didn't think that through," said Tonks, laughing apologetically.

With her, Remus allowed himself to laugh freely and forget about all the troubles weighing on his mind. He and Tonks finally managed to push themselves out of the small crevice between the two buildings and arrived upon a crowded street somewhere in the heart of London. Remus had never been here before but by the reminiscent glimmer in Tonks' eyes, she definitely had been to this place.

Remus looked around and carefully took in the surroundings. He was utterly surprised and taken back by the beautiful sight of the night in front of him. Never did he expect the night to be so colorful and so…bright.

Lights—there were lights of all colors and lights everywhere. They were blinking brighter than the stars in the sky. They were formed and shaped, crisscrossing across the city sky to form stars and pictures in the air. The lights flickered on and off, creating moving images with muggle technology. Remus' jaw fell open. He was witnessing the magic and delicate beauty of a simple muggle life. He was beyond impressed.

In the sky, there was a net of lights in the shape of a star blinking neon blue. The lights lit up the night and made it feel as if it was bright as day. A little further down, a great Ferris wheel like structure stood erect against the black horizon. The circle glowed in bright cool lights; the center glowed in bright warm lights. Across the city and down both ends of the street, figures of snowflakes and ribbons were hung on the street lamps, on the sides of buildings, from one building to another, shimmering in all different colors. There was blue, red, orange, pink, indigo, violet, green, white, yellow, so much. The colors ranged from normal to exotic to shades he'd never even seen before in his life. Remus' jaw was a foot down.

"Sweetheart you're drooling," Tonks teased, pressing his jaw closed.

He smiled at her and held her closer. "What is all this?" he asked.

"My favorite place to take a walk in during Christmas," said Tonks. "Nothing gets you in the festive mood better than the London Christmas Lights," Tonks smiled.

Remus was still gawking. With wide, eager eyes staring in all directions, Remus was still taking in the amazing sight. Down the street, one net of stars after another was lighting up. Soon, the entire street glowed in brilliant Christmas lights. The lights were so bright and brilliant; the colors so exotic and beautiful, that Remus was sure a man could see it from the moon. Even the tree branches, made bare by winter's cold air, were strewn with blinking lights. The side and features of buildings were lined with bright lights, sometimes yellow, sometimes orange, and often varying in all sorts of colors.

Artificial Christmas trees decorated the streets, strewn with lights as well. There were so many lights and colors. Remus was sure the whole street was drowning in its brilliance. Festive Christmas wreaths were hung on doors, its ornaments reflecting the shine off the lights. Red and gold ribbons made of shiny, illuminating fabric were strewn across the street. Banners bearing Christmas greetings hung from one side of the street to the other.

"It's beautiful, yes?" Tonks asked, taking his hand and walking down the beautiful road.

Dazed, Remus nodded. He could hear bells jingle and Christmas carols being sung by a chorus of angelic voices. The scent of warm gingerbread was floating through the air, mixed with an indescribable scent that was just simply Christmas.

"What are those?" Remus asked, pointing to the stalls on the street selling various items. He'd never been here and it was obvious that Tonks knew more about muggles than he did.

"Some are selling food," said Tonks, hugging his arm as they walked. She pointed to several stalls where it was clear that they were selling food and drinks judging by the number of people standing around them, huddled in groups for warmth and holding various beverages and snacks in their covered hands. "Some are selling gifts—you know, little knick knacks and such." She pointed to the other stands lit up by various toys and gift boxes.

"Is that chocolate?" Remus asked excitedly, his eyes falling upon a stand selling various kinds of chocolate.

"Yes!" Tonks screamed in her joy. "Oh my god! Remus you found it!"

"Found what?" he asked.

"That's the stand that sells the best chocolate in the world! It's even better than Honeydukes'!" she exclaimed, bouncing on her feet and looking as if she was going to pop with excitement and mirth. Her previous worries and troubles were forgotten in the back of her mind.

Remus turned and looked at her, his eyes wide.

Tonks returned his gaze with wide, hungry eyes of her own.

Without words, they both had communicated their mutual thoughts. Together, Remus and Tonks raced over to the stand selling chocolate. Its smell traveled through the air, taunting their senses and making them want all the chocolate in the world.

"Look at that!" Tonks shrieked, jumping in line with Remus as she pointed to another stand. "I've always wanted a snow globe."

"We'll buy a snow globe after we get chocolate," he grinned.

Tonks made a face. She tried pulling him and pushing him but he wouldn't budge from his position in line. Good-heartedly, Tonks crossed her arms and huffed. "You really _do_ love chocolate, don't you?"

Laughing warmly, Remus wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. She could feel his laughter reverberating against his chest as the pleasant sound danced through the air. Standing close to him amidst all the lights, Tonks felt happy, happier than she'd ever been. Though her troubles about her case and her impending assignment to Azkaban was still making her smile quiver and fall, Tonks would constantly push the burdens to the back of her mind and look up into the lights again.

"I think I deserve a thank you for taking you to such a wonderful place."

"How should I thank you?" Remus questioned, feigning innocence.

She held his face gently, their lips inches apart. "Well?"

A Marauder-like smile with a wolfish glint danced across his face. "Well."

Gently, the couple leaned in for a kiss. When Remus' lips met Tonks' they caressed each other's and held on tight. Fingers strayed, hands moved, and hearts flew. Their lips pushed and gave, teased and played, and danced with each others'. A fiery tempest of passion was brewing around them, gently, very gently. That was the gentlest and most loving kiss Remus had ever felt in his entire life. With Tonks, he was overjoyed to know that those kinds of kisses would not stop coming. He kissed her fervently and she kissed him ardently. Often they'd trail off to do their own thing with each other but it would always return to that amorous lip-lock. The raging fire which urged them on scorched them; it would have burned them had they tried to restrain it.

When they pulled apart, only a few brief moments had passed in reality. They smiled at each other, gazing into amorous eyes. Remus could hear her heart beating like mad. He could hear his own pounding up like a storm. His insides shifted and swirled like a maelstrom. They were beyond butterflies-in-the-stomach. They were in a maelstrom-of-emotions.

"We kissed in public," said Tonks, grinning and uncaring if she looked foolish.

"Is that bad?" Remus questioned. Though they've never stood in public and kissed before, it felt like a natural thing to happen. Tonks simply smiled, her eyes grinning as well. Remus tightened his arms around her and moved forward in line.

Letting go of her was no longer an option. Remus had discovered all that life contains of sorrow and joy. Without her it would be sorrow. With her it would be joy. Now that he knew, he could not muster up the strength to deprive himself of her. She was his delicious torment.

"I love you," they whispered at the same time. Their whisper was hushed. It was so soft and so private that the simple feeling of the breath coming to their ear alone was causing of a happy and powerful memory.

Eyes wide and twinkling with the lights around him, Remus continued to gaze at the marvelous beauty. He'd never seen so many lights in his entire life. It lit up the entire night, making it as bright as day in a certain way. Standing there with Tonks, he allowed himself to forget about all the sadness and worries. He was with his lover and that was all that mattered. The snow covered the ground and a flurry was falling from the sky. The air was cold but yet he was warm. Nymphadora Tonks was in his arms and Remus smiled. Christmas was coming.

* * *

><p>Replies:<p>

RemusTonksFan: Thank you! I've come to the point where I find Remus' wolf form incredibly cute myself...at least when he's in control haha. And as for Sirius and Silvia, hmm, I hope you like them and don't mind the speed I'm putting them in ;D thank you!

FireLily25: Thank you and I don't mind rambling, I enjoy it haha. I split up the story so that it's easier for organization sake and so when you look at it it's not one massive mess, I hope that's ok xD As for Alexis and George, well you'll just have to see where their story goes I'm afraid. I have something planned but I can't tell you or it will ruin it. But thank you for reading and reviewing! Thank you ^_^

TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish: Oh no worries, I'm just happy you're still reading! Thank you though, your support is greatly appreciated ^_^ And read on your own time if you're too busy, don't overdo yourself though and hope you'll be able to relax soon ^_^

SuperWriterToTheRescue: Thank you, I'm so lucky you found my story because your support is greatly appreciated too xD And the reason I want to update more is actually, I have written 9 chapters ahead, so I'm nearly done writing this fan fiction now and I'm actually planning the next one xD Anyways, thank you so much and hope you'll continue to enjoy the story! xD


	25. I Want Love This Christmas

**Author's Note:**

Again, I hope you don't mind the quicker updates, and the Christmas in June sort of thing. Also, if you find any mistakes, feel free to tell me because I'm pretty sure I made some typos and such throughout the chapters that I've missed when I read them over again. Anyways, if you're free, please tell me what you think, if not, it's alright actually, I'm just happy you're reading. I hope you enjoy! Thank you so very much! xD

Also, the song lyrics I put in here, O'Children by Nick Cave and The Bad Seed, I heard it from Deathly Hallows part 1 and I really like it, I hope you don't mind me using it. In the middle part when it shifts from Alexis' part to the lyrics then to Sirius' part, it's my (awfully terrible) attempt at showing a gradual shift as Sirius was also playing the song too. I hope that's not too confusing...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25 – I Want Love This Christmas<strong>

Warmth spilled over the entire flat as the dancing orange flames burned happily under the small mantel. Outside, fluffy white snow was falling from the evening sky. Night came early around that time of the year and so against the velvet black sky, snow fell from out of nowhere. The waning moon was reaching its third color and despite the freezing snow and frosty air outside, inside that small flat on Long Street London, the air was warmer than it had ever been. Soft Christmas carols could be heard playing from the wireless sitting on the corner shelf. A blinking Christmas tree sat several feet away from the mantel with presents spilling out from underneath the ornament-drowned pine branches. Decorative dancing fairies were floating about in the air while ethereal birds soared through the living room, tweeting and singing their songs. It was Christmas Eve.

"Nymphadora, put this plate of mince pies on the table," Andromeda said, moving around busily in the crowded kitchen.

Tonks grumbled as she took the plate of tiny tartlets from her mother's hand. She had to work extra hard that day to hold in her flaring temper—Christmas was the one time of the year where _everyone_ was allowed to call her Nymphadora. It was an agreement she had with her parents when she was very young.

"Remus, here is the mulled wine," said Sirius, handing Remus several bottles of cherry red wine from a cabinet in the corner under the massive bookshelf.

While taking the wine bottles over to the dining table, Remus smiled at Tonks who still wore a grumpy pout. He placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered calming words into her ear, keeping her temper under control. "I think Nymphadora is a beautiful name," he said.

"Says the bloke with the cool Latin name," Tonks grumbled, sticking her tongue out at him and stirring a soft laugh to escape his breath.

Although for the past several days, Tonks' mind had been weighed down by the constant worry of having to guard Azkaban Prison after the holiday break from work, she'd still managed to joke around and smile with her family. She was Nymphadora Tonks after all and ever since she was little, hiding her worries and putting on a mask of merriment was a talent of hers. She'd convinced herself to push aside the worrying thoughts about her strange and oddly long case involving Crouch Jr., and pushed aside the fears of guarding Azkaban because of a slip of tongue. She was now smiling and acting childish around her close family and friends. In a way, she was bringing her spirits up herself.

"So how has work been, Dora?" her father asked, bringing up the large, cannonball-shaped Christmas pudding to the table.

Staring at the flaming pudding sprigged with holly, Tonks had to compel herself not to drool. "Work's fine, dad," she replied blankly. Her father chuckled.

"Work is _not_ great, Ted," Sirius said, dragging Alexis away from the table less she tried to sneak a few bites before dinner started. "They're all working their arses off and are getting screamed at for it. Strange world we live in, eh?"

"About your case with the Crouch family?" Andromeda asked while looking to Silvia whom she knew would give her a straight answer.

Silvia nodded. "We're getting nowhere with it," she sighed, walking towards the kitchen while deliberately staying as far away from Sirius as possible.

"We're getting somewhere," said Tonks, narrowing her eyes on Remus who was attempting to steal a peak at the presents under the tree. "I really want to talk to Mr. Crouch though. But when I tried to schedule a meeting with him, Percy wouldn't let me."

"Percy? As in Percy Weasley?" Remus asked, remembering a clever old student of his.

"Molly's boy?" Andromeda questioned.

"Yeah, he's working for the Ministry now. He's Crouch's assistant."

Alexis and Sirius both scoffed at the same time. "Poor bloke," they both said in unison.

"He graduated last year. It's great that he's doing well out of school," said Remus in defense of the very intelligent albeit strict and uptight boy.

"Just because you're both uptight prats doesn't mean you should defend him love," Tonks sighed, rolling her eyes and grinning at Remus.

"I'm not uptight," said Remus, walking around her.

"But you didn't deny that you're a prat," Tonks grinned as she took his hand and held him back, hugging him. Remus bit his lip, unable to think of a rebuttal. He gave her a look that was a bad attempt at anger but then his face broke into a grin. He shook his head and placed a gentle, fast-as-lightning kiss upon her forehead.

"Nymphadora has silenced the great Moony," Sirius teased. He passed by Silvia that moment and immediately he grew silent, staring at her awkwardly while biting his lips.

"Just because my parents can call me Nymphadora doesn't mean you can," Tonks tried to snap at him but she was unable to sound threatening or angry in the warm atmosphere.

"That deal you made with Uncle Ted seventeen years ago applies to cousins too, Nymphadora," said Alexis with a smirk as she took her seat at the table. "And Sirius is a cousin."

"Alright, settle down, all of you," Andromeda said, shaking her head at her family and smiling to Remus and Silvia, the two most _normal_ one of the group. "Sit down you lot."

Grumbling at Sirius, Tonks took her seat between Remus and Silvia. It was obvious that Silvia was avoiding Sirius, taking a seat at the very end of the table across from Alexis while Sirius sat at the opposite end of the table between Ted and Remus. Across from Tonks was her mother, poised but comforting, sitting beside her father, mellow and hearty. For a moment there was the sound of chairs scratching against the floor as every got comfortable in their seats.

Tonks then forgot her irritation at Sirius and dropped her scowl immediately when her hungry eyes took in the entirety of the Christmas dinner that sat before her. "Oh my god," Tonks mumbled, mastering herself not to drool. Directly in front of her a delicious aroma came from the smoked salmon served with buttered brown bread and a slice of lemon, wrapped around some flaming orange prawns. To Tonks' left where Remus sat, a giant charred brown turkey sat, hiding Sirius completely from Tonks and Silvia's view. The turkey sat, tempting Tonks to eat it with its dark grilled brown skin, sitting on a plate circled with chipolatas and roasted root vegetables. Tonks' stomach gave a great lurch and a loud growl came from it. She turned to Remus, cheeks flushing red and grinned. He'd definitely heard it and was smiling at her.

Unable to help themselves, the entire table began to eat. Tonks saw that Alexis was already taking a large chunk of the cannonball-shaped Christmas pudding onto her plate. It was her favorite part of the meal as Alexis couldn't turn away from the combination of rich and heavy pudding of dried fruit plumped with loads and loads of whisky and brandy.

The chinking sound of cutlery against plates played on for a while during the silence. Tonks stacked her plate full with as much food as she possibly could, practically fighting with her cousins over the mince pies and pudding. Remus was deeply engaged in a conversation about current events with Ted while Andromeda was speaking with Silvia from across the table, talking about families and marriage, much to Sirius' displeasure—Silvia kept throwing glances at him. Tonks was soon fighting with Alexis over which Quidditch team should have won the world cup and was only silenced when Andromeda threatened to remove them both from the dinner table. The rest of dinner went on nicely with small conversations here and there.

"Why couldn't Harry spend Christmas with us this year?" Andromeda asked.

Sirius hastily gulped down a drink before answering, "He's attending the Yule Ball at Hogwarts. It's something the Triwizard Champions have to do."

"Ah, so I guess he's going with sweet little Ginny then?" Andromeda asked. "Or his other friend Hermione?"

Tonks stifled a hysterical wave of laughter when Alexis suddenly choked on her mulled wine and began coughing loudly. "Harry…and…Hermione…." She coughed, laughing at the same time. "My god, I nearly died," she sighed.

"Why wouldn't Harry go with Hermione? He talks about her often," said Andromeda.

"They're just friends, like brother and sister," said Remus, smiling. He'd managed to learn a few things about the trio during his one year of being their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Although Harry and Hermione are very close, there was somehow nothing romantic linking them together. It was purely a very, very strong, almost sibling like friendship.

"What about Ginny then? She's a very nice girl," said Ted, removing himself from a fun conversation he'd just had with Sirius.

"She's…err-it's complicated," said Tonks, recalling those many letters Ginny had sent her over the few months. "Ginny's going with Neville."

"Who's Harry going with then?" Alexis asked while pouring herself another very generous glass of wine.

Sirius looked up, eyes wide and wondering. Tonks and Remus both spotted him and shared a look of humorous disbelief. "Sirius, don't tell me you haven't even bothered to ask him," said Remus. "What kind of godfather are you?"

"A very bad one I admit," said Sirius from behind the turkey. "Who _is_ he going with?"

"Harry's going with Parvati Patil," said Silvia, finally speaking to Sirius after what seemed like a kick in the knee from Alexis under the table. Tonks laughed quietly and Remus patted her knee before her laughter accidentally turned into a cackle.

"Oh I'd love to be young again," Ted sighed, smiling at Andromeda.

"I don't know," said Sirius in a low voice. "We have all sorts of things to worry about such as living life, starting a family, and choosing between one and the other, right Silvia?"

"I wouldn't say you're that young anymore, Sirius," Silvia replied with a smile.

"Thank you," said Sirius dryly.

Tonks bit her lips, trying hard not to laugh and turning very red in the process of holding back her laughter. Watching the strange tension but obvious connection between Sirius and Silvia was quite humorous and she couldn't explain why. Remus seemed to be thinking the same thing but he was doing a much better job of hiding his amusement than she was.

"Were we the same way?" He leaned over and whispered in her ear, asking her quietly.

"I don't think we were," said Tonks. "We were always quite subtle, weren't we?"

"Yes, we weren't so obvious," Remus agreed, whispering back to her.

"Oh no you weren't," Alexis laughed from behind a half empty glass of wine. "Harry and I had the biggest laugh because of you two," she added, speaking to Tonks and Remus. "Remember the beginning of the summer when neither of you could be in the same room as the other without looking like you were going to have a heart attack?" she teased.

Tonks glared at her cousin. "I hate you," she said. "You and Marrick fight all the time. I can make fun of you if you'd like. See how that feels."

Alexis laughed and was about to return to her side conversation with Silvia when Andromeda asked, "Where _is_ Marrick anyways? I thought he'd be over."

"He'll be here tomorrow. He has to have dinner with his distant family tonight."

"And he's not coming by later?" Sirius queried.

"The workaholic has to work," Alexis sighed.

Dinner continued on with many conversations sprouting up. None were about Tonks' case though, much to her relief. She knew that if they began talking about her case, names would be mentioned that would completely destroy the jolly mood everyone was in, names like Barty Crouch Jr., Bellatrix Lestrange, Narcissa Malfoy, Ian Rosier, and Alastor Moody. Each name seemed to be able to bring into thought an old wound that they all had. Sirius and Remus had encountered Crouch Jr., in the war. Bellatrix brought bad memories to Andromeda, and Rosier tore open a painful part of Silvia's past. More could be said.

Soon dinner was brought to an end. It only ended when there was no more food on the table and everyone was forced to get up and clean. The sound of plates and scratching of chairs sounded for a while. Once done, more conversations came into existence and the trail of post-dinner conversations began to eat up the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>As if dragging time out in their favor, the hours of the night seemed to tick by much, much slower than usual. Tonks glanced at the clock hung crooked on her wall as she and Remus walked into her room. It was barely eight in the evening. Feeling tired and in need of some quiet personal time, Tonks sighed and dropped herself onto her bed, bouncing up once from her springy mattress. As gentle as ever, Remus took a seat beside her. He barely made a dent in the bed with his lanky frame. They sat quietly for a while, enjoying the comfortable silence that passed over them while watching the snow fall outside on Christmas Eve. Then, Tonks began to speak; wanting to voice her thoughts to the only person she could tell anything to.<p>

"I'm worried," she said, breaking the silence.

Remus pulled her into his arms as if by instinct. He knew her reason and simply kept quiet, allowing her to speak her mind. While Tonks spoke, Remus would rub comforting circles upon her back and often nodded in reply. He felt silence was the best remedy for a troubled heart, especially when there was nothing they could do to appease that trouble.

"I know I really need to watch my acid tongue," said Tonks. "But how is it even fair that I'm being punished to speak my mind?" she asked.

"I don't know love," said Remus softly.

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I've gone to Azkaban several times and every time turned out absolutely terrible. That horrible feeling of dread and gloom…you can still feel it even with the patronuses dancing around. And that feeling lingers with you throughout the day," she continued.

"I know," Remus nodded, having read all about dementors and being a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at one point in time. "I know. But that's why you shouldn't allow that terrible feeling to stay after you leave that place. You need to smile and laugh. And…you need to eat some chocolate," he added, smirking slightly upon her smile.

"I've already had enough chocolate for tonight," she said, still full from her dinner.

"Yes, I saw," he replied with a much lighter voice seeing that Tonks' smile was staying.

"What else do you reckon would help me feel better after being around dementors?" Tonks asked. "I need everything I can get to survive that week."

"I'll…think of something," he promised her. Remus was completely serious.

"You're sure?" she asked, seeking reassurance.

He nodded firmly. "Positive." A beat. "Now I'm wondering what exactly you do there, guarding Azkaban. I mean, aren't the dementors the main guards?"

"Yes, but we still need aurors around to make sure that the dementors don't kiss anyone," Tonks sighed. "It's quite pointless really. Those foul, twisted creatures know that if they kissed anyone without authorization, they'd be destroyed."

"I don't think they fear the Ministry, Dora."

"I know, but it's just for formalities nowadays," she replied. "And guarding Azkaban is more like a punishment, really. When I go there, I'm not going to stand in one place all day and mope. I'm going to do something productive," she confirmed.

"Such as?" he inquired.

Tonks paused. Remus saw her bite her lips and immediately he knew that she was thinking something over. Taking her hands, Remus held onto her tightly, reveling in her warmth and the sweet, sweet aroma of her skin—lavender and chamomile. "I think I should try and get something out of Bellatrix Lestrange," said Tonks suddenly.

"Bellatrix Lestrange?" Remus asked, shocked. "Nymphadora, I don't think—"

"She's insane, yes," Tonks cut in. "But Rosier kept mentioning her name during the interrogation and she had been captured the same time as Crouch Jr. I think that Bellatrix might know something useful for my case."

"How will you get any information out of her?" Remus questioned softly. "Bellatrix is amongst Voldemort's most loyal followers. It will be difficult and she might…she might say something that will cause you to lose your temper and lose your focus on your patronus. Remember, you have to think of a very happy memory the entire time or else your patronus will disappear and the dementors will have you."

A small smile played across her lips. "Yes, professor," Tonks sighed. "Either way, it's worth a shot. What else am I going to do in a prison all day?"

Remus was silent. Perhaps it would be alright for Tonks to try and question Bellatrix, as long as she could keep her head straight and not lose control of her flaring temper. Remus was worried, but there was really nothing he could do. He knew if he continued to try and talk her out of it, it would only tempt his dearly beloved to try even harder. "Whatever you decide to do, be careful, please Nymphadora," he said and she nodded, leaning back into his embrace for a little longer before they rejoin the others outside.

* * *

><p>Towards the end of the night, Tonks found herself sitting on the wooden stool in the kitchen, rocking back and forth as her mother threw her disapproving glares while her two cousins were anticipating the moment she either fell or Andromeda exploded. Unfortunately for them, that moment did not come. Tonks ended up voicing to Andromeda, Sirius, and Alexis what had been weighing on her mind for a while. When she mentioned the name Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda tensed immediately, Sirius grew surprisingly quiet, and the smirk on Alexis' face had instantly vanished.<p>

"Why do you want to know about Bellatrix?" Andromeda asked. Her voice was colder and icier than normal. Alexis was about to speak up and explain for Tonks but silenced immediately when she realized the striking similarity between Andromeda's tone and Narcissa's tone when they first began talking—they were exactly the same.

"Nothing," Tonks lied.

Andromeda looked at her.

Feeling the discomfort of the situation increasing, Sirius and Alexis excused themselves as quickly as they can. "I have work I've still yet to finish," Alexis said while disappearing into her room. "There's something I need to discuss with Silvia," said Sirius simultaneously, walking over to the dining table and beckoning Silvia out to the balcony.

Tonks sighed. "I want to talk to her, mum," she said. "It's important for my case."

"You're going to walk into Azkaban and talk to her?" Andromeda gasped. "Nymphadora, that's insane! No one in their right mind would do that."

"Mum, it's for my case," Tonks replied. "And besides, she can't hurt me…."

Andromeda bit her lips. She didn't know how to tell her daughter her fear that Bellatrix would be able to cause her some pain and confusion without the need for a wand. Personally, Andromeda always felt a numbing but everlasting pain inside of her whenever she thought about Bellatrix, Bella Black, her beloved sister. It always hurt and after so many years, it still throbbed. Andromeda wondered if Tonks was too young and innocent to feel the ties that bound.

"Mum, please just tell me what you think," said Tonks in a softer voice. "Do you think she'll give me any answers?"

For a while, Andromeda was quiet with a pensive look in her eyes. When she spoke again, her voice cracked and she sound rather defeated. A nerve had been touched, a scar reopened, and her mind was lingering over the past—she couldn't help but look defeated. "I'm not sure she will," Andromeda said softly. "Bella…" she paused. "_Bellatrix_," she corrected, refusing to think of her dear sister Bella as the insane woman in Azkaban right that moment. "Most likely she won't recognize you. If she's still the same as I remembered her, she doesn't like strangers. In fact…she is very cruel towards them."

"What if I disguised myself as you—or Narcissa?"

"I'm not quite sure about that. I don't know what she still thinks of the term _family_ after so many years apart…."

When Andromeda grew quiet again, Tonks began to wonder. She wondered if it would work, for her to disguise herself as Andromeda or Narcissa and try to speak to Bellatrix. If Bellatrix still remembered them and still cares for them or trusts them in any sense, then Tonks might be able to get something out of her. She was not certain though—the human mind works in ways no one can seem to comprehend.

"What was she like?" Tonks asked; needing an idea of how the person she was interrogating had been. "What was Bellatrix like when you knew her?"

"In my mind, there's always a distinction between Bella Black and Bellatrix Lestrange." Andromeda never got over how her family had been completely torn apart, disintegrated, as an impact of the war. She could never associate the homicidal monster that is Bellatrix Lestrange, Death Eater and loyal servant of He Who Must Not Be Named, to her dear sister, Bella Black, an eccentric but charming woman capable of love.

"What was Bella Black like?" Tonks asked.

"She was…" Andromeda paused again. Her eyes looked up and met her daughter's clairvoyant green eyes. She felt something churn in her stomach and as realization dawned upon her, Andromeda felt a sense of disbelief. Tonks stood there waiting for the answer. She however, was not ready for the answer Andromeda was about to give. "She was…just like you."

Suddenly, Tonks felt as if she'd been hit by a ton of bricks. It felt even worse than slamming right into a brick wall or tumbling down a flight of stairs. The words had scared her. "Like me?" she said with disbelief wringing through her tone.

"There's one distinction though," Andromeda added quickly, revealing to Tonks something she'd known but never accepted all through the years. "Bella fell in love with the wrong man. She fell in love with a man who could never love her back…."

Tonks' jaw fell. So that was the main distinction between her and Bellatrix Lestrange inside her mother's mind—_love_. Rigidly, Tonks' eyes traveled to Remus who was sitting in the leather armchair beside the warm fire of dancing orange flames, deep in a conversation with her father. According to her mother, the difference between her and Bellatrix was the love she'd chosen for herself. Tonks drew a rattling breath and came to realize something: The only thing that stands between her and insanity was love….

* * *

><p>That year's Christmas was something he hadn't experienced in a very long time. It'd been over a decade since he could sit down in a warm and homely place, enjoying Christmas dinner and the many conversations that followed. Never would Remus have expected that that Christmas, he'd be able to spend it around people who completely accepted him. Had it been a year back and a student told him that, he would have sent them to Madam Pomfrey immediately to have their head examined.<p>

He was seated beside the warm fire, a cup of tea in his hands as he watched the orange flames dancing, spilling warmth over the entire room, all while speaking with mellow and understanding Ted Tonks. Ted was in the armchair across from Remus, a fair-haired big-bellied man with an enormous heart. He was smiling, thinking about Remus' last comment. Soon their conversation traveled from simple discussions about current events to the topic of romantic relationships and how Remus was dating Ted's only daughter. Instantly, Remus' cheeks turned pink and though he felt too old to be in that position, he couldn't get himself out of it.

"You know, Remus, I never quite thought the two of you would be a match, but seeing how happy Dora is around you, it's a pleasant surprise," said Ted.

Remus simply smiled. He looked down into his tea, feeling awkward but happy.

"Dating Nymphadora is quite a ride though, isn't it?" the kind man asked in a gentle tone.

"Not exactly," said Remus. "Nymphadora is amazing. The ride isn't bad."

Ted chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "You two really _are_ hopelessly in love," he said. "Sirius and Lexi say so all the time and yet Dromeda and I never really believed it until now, seeing you and my daughter together." He took a small drink from his own cup of tea. "I know my daughter, Remus," he spoke again, his mellow eyes growing reminiscent as he thought of an old memory as if looking through a photo album. "She's quite eccentric and hard to keep up with…a little rambunctious and hyperactive…also quite spontaneous and stubborn, oh yes, bull-headedly stubborn, but if you can handle all that, you'll find she's quite a wonder and a joy to be around," he smiled. Ted then casted a look towards the kitchen where his wife and daughter stood, engaged in a conversation of their own. "She's grown into such a woman and I trust you'll treat her well," he finished.

"Of course," said Remus with all the honesty he had in him. "I only want her to be happy and I'm prepared to do anything for her to be happy," he assured Ted.

Another smile crossed the kind man's lips. "Keep her happy, but don't be foolish about it Remus," he advised. "Make decisions that will be good for _both_ of you, not just _her_. Being in a relationship means you don't count one person alone but the couple as a whole."

He could grasp only part of the meaning and so Remus asked, "What do you mean, Ted?"

"I mean that sometimes, what you think is good for her may not be the best for her."

Remus grew quiet. Of course Ted would understand—he'd been happily married to Andromeda Tonks for many years and advice from a happily married man was much more reliable in the long run. Remus' blue eyes showed that he'd turned thoughtful, retreating into his labyrinth-like mind for a quick moment. What he felt was good for Tonks may not be the best for her. Remus reminded himself to keep that in mind.

"Nymphadora is a lot like her mother," said Ted. "And if I know one thing about them, it's that the things that make them happy are quite different from other women," Ted smiled. "Be ready to take risks and chances in love, Remus."

A firm nod was given by Remus as a reply. "Thank you Ted," he said, mulling over Ted Tonks' advice and inscribing them into his memory.

* * *

><p>Christmas had been quite different from what she'd expected. Alexis had expected to spend Christmas Eve dinner with her family then the rest of the night with her lover, traipsing around the familiar streets of London they've grown to love so much. Her lover however, was cooped up with work right after he'd finished dinner with his own family and so their traipsing was put to a halt. As she walked down the quiet but colorful streets of London, Alexis sighed. The vapors of her breath were visible in front of her, like a hazy fog that remained for only a few brief seconds. She often wondered how she ended up in love with Marrick.<p>

They were much too different, she and him. She'd rather do anything but work, despite how much she actually enjoyed her job. For her, there were things more important than work; there were things more important than love. For her, her happiness was her top priority. But for him, work was his everything. She admit that she was selfish, putting her own happiness above all others, but she knew she wasn't alone. Who on planet Earth could say that they truly do not care about their own happiness? It was something they all sought after as humans living a life they know not about tomorrow.

Alexis sighed again as her eyes traveled to the Christmas lights hanging above her. She felt quite lonely that night, wandering the streets by herself. Always, she would say that she admired Marrick for his hard-working nature and how serious he took his job. But inside, she could not deny that she wished he would put less effort into his work. Yes, she was selfish, she admitted to it. But she was a woman after all and sometimes she'd feel a strange feeling inside (jealousy perhaps). She was second to Marrick's work as an auror.

The loneliness was conquering her. Alexis refused to let herself mope over the feeling she absolutely abhors and so instead of wandering the streets of London any further, she disapparated immediately once she was certain no one paid attention to the lonely woman on the sidewalk. It didn't take long, the wait.

She apparated to the streets of Hogsmeade Village. It was a warm but snowy village that looked like a scene straight out of a Christmas card. Even that late at night, there were still many people on the streets. A lot of them were young couples and immediately, Alexis regretted her decision of coming there.

"I need a drink," she sighed and mumbled to herself.

On an abrupt turn, Alexis made her way into the Three Broomsticks Inn. Immediately she was consumed by the delectable scent of firewhiskey and butterbeer in the air. She loved coming to the Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosmerta, the hearty innkeeper, would always exchange stories of the current events of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts with her while she drank away over flagons of alcohol, one after another. That was what she expected to do that night, drink.

"Evening Madam Rosmerta," Alexis said, greeting the woman behind the counter whom upon seeing her, had already begun to open a bottle of whiskey.

"Alexis, glad to see you dear," Rosmerta smiled. "Ogden's finest alright?"

Alexis nodded and took a seat at the bar counter. To her surprise, she'd sat down beside a young man whom she was quite close to. Right after Rosmerta turned away to grab a glass, George Weasley's brilliant grin met Alexis' face. His eyes lit up and sparkled under the warm lights of the restaurant. George was wearing a handsome set of black dress robes complete with an amber vest and nicely suited tailcoat. His flaming red hair combed and neaten to a fashionable style. Alexis almost hadn't recognized him.

"Lexi! Fancy seeing you here," he said happily.

"George, what are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.

"I'm getting some drinks after the Yule Ball," he replied.

"Oh yes, the ball was tonight," she smiled. "Where's Fred?"

"With his date, Quidditch-monster Angelina Johnson," George smiled. "I didn't want to be a third wheel. What are you doing here? I figured you'd be with Marrick or otherwise engaged in another activity."

"No, Marrick's workaholic nature got the best of tonight," she replied. "I'm alone."

"Fancy that, we're both alone," George smiled kindly. He patted her shoulder. "But since we're here now, guess we're not lonely anymore."

"No, not anymore," Alexis replied while momentarily getting lost in his hazel brown eyes. They were warm like a flagon of butterbeer, giving her the sweet, intoxicating feeling of the world's most delectable drinks pouring down her stomach. George's eyes were very warm.

"Reckon you can join me for a drink?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied, taking her glass of firewhiskey from Madam Rosmerta and spotting the old woman's smirk in the process.

"How about a dance?" George asked after a moment when the music from the wireless began playing a soft and sweet ballad. The loving ballad floated through the restaurant, drawing couples and friends from the tables up to a swaying dance. Alexis looked around and returned to George's hazel eyes. He raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"Why not," she replied and got off her chair, taking his hand and began to loosen up. George placed his other hand gently upon her waist, cradling her as if she was the most delicate thing on the face of the Earth. With equal softness, Alexis placed her hand upon his shoulder.

The dance began quite reservedly at first. They were swaying along to the soft music for a while, taking small steps backward, forward, left, and right. The song played and the song ended, but still the dancing didn't stop. Another song came on right afterwards and without so much as a pause or minor interruption of any kind, Alexis and George continued to dance. That next song had a faster beat but an equally as meaningful message. They smiled as the dance grew to a level of comfort they enjoyed. George hugged Alexis tightly for a moment, resting his head on her shoulder. She did the same, although not knowing why. She guessed that they were simply enjoying the strange time spent together as two lonely people left behind by another. Despite the smiles and constant laughter, inside they still felt somewhat an outsider.

_Pass me that lovely little gun  
><em>_My dear, my darling one  
><em>_The cleaners are coming, one by one  
><em>_You don't even want to let them start_

_Forgive us now for what we've done  
><em>_It started out as a bit of fun  
><em>_Here, take these before we run away  
><em>_The keys to the gulag_

_Hey little train! We are all jumping on  
><em>_The train that goes to the Kingdom  
><em>_We're happy, Ma, we're having fun  
><em>_And the train ain't even left the station_

_Hey, little train! Wait for me!  
><em>_I once was blind but now I see  
><em>_Have you left a seat for me?  
><em>_Is that such a stretch of the imagination?_

The night had grown quiet, too quiet. Sirius was busy, yes, he was very busy. He was busy staring at the beautiful woman dancing back and forth in front of him, helping him clear up the mess made in his living room because he had decided to challenge Remus to a little game they played when they were in school in which Sirius had lost so badly that night that he didn't want to ever speak of it again. With a wave of her wand, Silvia returned the sofa to its original position in the middle of the living room. Another wave and all the fallen ornaments from the glistening Christmas tree were hanging back on its branches.

"Sirius, are you going to help me or are you still moping about your loss?" Silvia asked, sighing as she tucked her wand into her back pocket.

"Mope," Sirius replied. He grinned. "So you're talking to me again?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Silvia replied. She began to blush when she realized that in the flat, it was just him and her alone. Andromeda and Ted had returned home. Alexis had gone out. And Remus and Tonks were probably at Remus' flat heating up a fire with their sweet words.

Playing an innocent face, Sirius shrugged. "I don't know," he replied.

Silvia shook her head and sat down in front of the small fire. She revived it with her wand and began poking the flames and crackling wood with the metal poker on the side of the fireplace. For a while, she sat there staring at the flames while listening to Sirius' movements behind her. He had plopped himself down upon his sofa and was taking very deep breaths. Sirius seemed nervous, but for what reason she did not know.

"You know, we never did sort out our problems," said Sirius pensively.

"Problems?" Silvia asked, attempting to deny them for as long as she can.

"Yes, problems," Sirius replied. "We have one very big problem we need to sort out."

"And that problem is?" she inquired.

"The fact that you and I can't be left alone without something happening."

Silvia paused. She hadn't expected for it to slap her in the face like a ton of lead when it was said aloud. "We're alone now," she mumbled.

For a short moment, Sirius grew quiet. Sitting with her back facing him, Silvia could feel his gaze boring down upon her. He gazed a hole through her and suddenly, she felt like she'd fallen into a rut. Her heart was beating fast, her stomach turning as if whatever was in there was stirring up a storm in protest. Her temperature rose and for some reason, by the feeling of the air in the room, Silvia felt that Sirius was experiencing the exact same thing.

"We're alone," Sirius said. "And something's happening."

She remained quiet. She didn't need to hear it anymore. The feelings inside of her were more than enough of an alarm. Silvia was fighting the urge to turn back and look at him. Sirius was right, but it wasn't only when they were alone. Even when there were people present, there was still something going on between the two of them that could not be put into words. They were deprived of their wits and forced to act on instinct and honest desires alone.

"Hey Silv," Sirius called. "How are you feeling?" his voice was gentle, too gentle.

"Queasy," she replied. "You?"

"Exactly the same," he answered.

Silence struck again and again, Sirius broke it, that time with a simple cough.

"It's snowing again," Silvia pointed out, glancing out the window in hopes of finding a distraction. She was talking about the weather and though it wasn't much, it was still somewhat of a distraction…somewhat.

"Yeah, it is," Sirius said. "Even the clouds can't hold themselves back."

Suddenly, Silvia felt nauseous again. She tensed when she heard movement behind her and the next thing she realized, Sirius had sat down right beside her. His arm touched hers as he reached for the poker, taking it gently from her rigid hands and began poking the dimming fire. "If you don't keep reviving it, it will go out," he said.

"Got distracted," Silvia replied, looking down at her hands.

"I wasn't talking about just the fire."

She looked up. Her mind worked quickly and within the blink of an eye, she knew what Sirius had meant and wanted to say. Silvia's next mistake was that she'd stolen a look into his eyes. Immediately, she was spell bounded. Entranced by piercing grey eyes that were dilating along with the thundering sound of rising heartbeat, she was swept away.

"If we don't remind ourselves, we might forget," Sirius said.

"What if I want to forget?" Silvia asked. "That seems like the best thing to do, isn't it—forget, move on? But then again, who could forget it?"

Sirius looked down and laughed dryly. They were speaking in riddles, just like many years ago when he'd attempted to court her. She was smart, much more intelligent and deep than most of the girls he usually hooked up with. Her difference caught his eyes and he found himself attracted to her immediately, because she could understand him even when he spoke in riddles. "I can't forget," he said, tracing patterns on the floor. "Can you?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "But if we both remember, what's the use of needing a reminder?" she queried, her voice softening even more, sounding like the wind singing.

"Because we can't help ourselves," said Sirius. He looked up, his grey eyes meeting her brown ones. "Or _I_ can't help myself at least, despite everything I say."

"Sirius, _you_ chose freedom. You say there are more important things in life than love."

He shrugged, taking her hand. At first he stroked her fingertips and when she didn't pull away, Sirius laced his fingers with hers. They fit perfectly together, just like they always did and he realized that nothing felt quite the same as when he was with her. "I've come to realize it's not as simple as a decision between freedom and love," he said.

She could barely move her mouth, completely lost in him. "So what do you choose?" she asked, her Spanish accent ringing through her words and floating gently to his ears.

"You."

Once again, silence consumed them, but that silence was not deafening or roaring in their ears. Instead, that silence was completely drowned out by something else. They heard nothing, felt nothing, saw nothing, and tasted nothing else but each other. In one graceful movement, Sirius had pulled Silvia into his arms. He closed the distance between them with a simple, gentle kiss, one which he'd been holding back the entire night. He left it there, waiting for her. To his pleasant surprise, she went on with it. They kissed again, again, and again. Fingers strayed and disheveled hair. When the hands strayed to the shirt hems, they didn't hold back that time.

"Did you forget?" she asked in a breathy whisper as his hands stroked the skin over the black tattoo of a phoenix upon her waist.

"Never," Sirius replied as her hands stroked the new inking he'd received in Azkaban.

First her shirt came off, the buttons falling apart and several onto the floor. Next, she removed his shirt carefully, smiling against his lips as she did so. Kisses feathered necks and the fire crackled to a close. Lying in complete darkness, a sense of comfort filled the room. Sirius' hands strayed down to her smooth and silky waist of her svelte figure. He fiddled with the shiny button in the front and with a flick of his finger, removed it.

* * *

><p>"Oh my god it's beautiful!" Tonks squealed excitedly as Remus placed a shiny silver bracelet around her wrist. The bracelet glistened in the firelight of Remus' small but cozy flat. On the bracelet, Remus and Tonks' names were linked together by a heart-shaped link and as she looked at it, Tonks' heart swelled with immense joy. She had never been the kind of girl who worried over material possessions and gifts in a relationship but seeing the bracelet on her wrist made her feel an extreme sense of happiness.<p>

"I'm glad you like it," he said gently, pulling her into his embrace and setting her upon his lap as he sat on the overstuffed armchair of his.

She turned and placed her arms upon his shoulder. "Remus, you didn't have to."

"I wanted to," he said.

"You're the best," she smiled and placed a fleeting kiss upon his smiling lips.

"Like I said before, I am unable to indulge you in gifts as often as a lover should, but Christmas time is something I can't ignore," he smiled.

"I don't care about gifts!" Tonks smiled. She'd been having a very good night and she hadn't even peeked at her presents sitting under her Christmas tree at home yet. Growing older, Nymphadora Tonks had come to understand that Christmas wasn't just about the presents. "I don't need presents," she grinned and kissed him again, making him blush. "I have you."

"I'd like to indulge you, if only for tonight," said Remus in a velvet voice. He smiled as he tightened his arms around her, holding her tightly and allowing himself to feel the joyous feeling of having his lover in his arms. "What would you like for Christmas, love?"

Tonks tapped her chin and put on an act of being pensive. She smiled as she did so. Her eyes traveled around his one-room flat, searching for ideas. What did she want for Christmas? Briefly, Tonks' conversation with her mother crossed her mind. A large distinction between her and her psychotic aunt Bellatrix was the love they'd gotten themselves into. Bellatrix, according to Andromeda, had fallen in love with a man who could not love her back (Tonks wondered who). Tonks on the other hand, had fallen in love with Remus Lupin who could love her more than anything in the world. An idea made way into her mind. What lies between her and madness was simply love.

"Love," said Tonks, smiling. "I want love this Christmas."

"Love," Remus smiled thoughtfully. "That is something I can give you every day."

Giggling, Tonks held him by his collar and pulled his face closer to hers. She was in a giddy mood and she loved it. "Show me," she said.

A glint was present in Remus' eyes as he lifted her up and began dancing with her around the room, swaying to a silent melody they both heard but no one else could. Remus was smirking, showing his mischievous Marauder side to her. Tonks knew Remus wasn't made a Marauder for nothing and she was starting to figure out what exactly made him open up that side. It was partial curiosity and partial intrigue. As long as she presented him with a challenge, Remus will gladly accept it, just like he was then.

"How can I show you?" he asked, resting his forehead on hers.

Tonks shrugged. "You're brilliant. Figure it out."

Smirking, Remus placed a firm kiss upon her lips. He could still taste the butterbeer and alcohol-filled Christmas pudding on her lips from when they had dinner. "How about that?"

"You can do better," Tonks smiled, continuing to sway with him.

Biting his lips, Remus feigned a look of deep thought before sweeping her off her feet and spinning her around as she giggled and laughed. Tonks clung onto him, grinning broadly. When he finally set her down, they both kept swaying, that time out of dizziness. Laughing, Remus asked, "How about now?"

Yet again, Tonks shook her head. "Keep trying," she said.

Smiling, Remus took her hands and placed them over his chest. She could feel his rapid heartbeat drumming against his ribcage. A blush appeared on Remus' face and soon Tonks was blushing profusely as well. Whenever he blushed, she always did. His heart continued to drum and listening to it, Tonks began to realize that her heartbeat was following the same rhythm as his. She smiled and his smile widened.

"I love you," he said.

"I know," she grinned. "I love you too."

"What about now?" Remus asked, grinning.

Giggling, she replied, "I admit, that was incredibly brilliant…but—"

"Hang on," he said. "_I_ reckon I can do better."

With an eyebrow raised and challenging him, Tonks leaned back, her arms still upon his shoulder. "Oh really?" she drawled, anxiously waiting.

Again, she saw that glint of mischief in his eyes. Remus Lupin was a Marauder and whenever that twinkle was visible, Tonks became eager to see what he had planned. His mind worked in wondrous ways she could not understand and could only wait to find out. Remus was grinning, holding her tighter and swaying her back against a wall. Tonks was still waiting. Leaning upon the wall beside the window whose glass was flecked with snowflakes, Tonks looked into his eyes. Then suddenly, the distance vanished.

Remus' lips were on hers, cradling hers and caressing hers. They fell into a deep and passionate kiss, eyes closed and blind to the world. Tonks lost her hands in his hair. He stroked her bubblegum pink strands which were quickly changing through many different colors—turquoise, blonde, lime, violet, and back to pink. His hands strayed from her hair down to her thin waist where pale skin was showing from above her heavily patched jeans and high-rising violet blouse. He stroked her and held onto her tight. In one lift, Remus had lifted her above the ground and held her against the wall. Tonks wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, cradling him herself. Their kiss fell deeper.

He kissed her sweetly and he kissed her ardently. Like always, Tonks loved it when Remus took the lead. She followed him, returning his kisses with equal fervor. Inside their minds, a song was constantly playing over and over again, fueling them on and tempting them to go further than they've ever gone before. Remus carried her, lifting her away from the wall and towards his mattress lying on the floor beside another snow-flecked window. Tonks giggled when he tripped and fell upon it, smiling against the nape of his neck as Remus shook his head in embarrassment. She found it amusing.

"You're just as clumsy as me," she laughed.

"Only at times like this, love," Remus smiled, his cheeks turning a bright, blistering red.

Ignoring everything else other than sweet, happy love, Remus continued kissing her, lying upon his bed. Tonks stayed content for a short moment below him until a surge of energy suddenly pushed her into flipping him over. Now sitting on top with her legs cradling his waist, Tonks pushed the boundaries, treading further than they've ever tried before. Her slender fingers played with the buttons of his shirt as they kissed. Growing impatient, Tonks tore his shirt apart with one simple pull and tossed the shirt to the side.

"That's my nicest shirt you know," said Remus although he never pulled apart.

"I don't care," she replied. "This is my favorite shirt."

"An eye for an eye then," he said, ripping off her violet blouse.

The sound of plastic buttons falling upon the floor did not interrupt them. Remus tossed her blouse aside much like she did with his nicest button-down shirt. His eyes were closed and he was close to her, feeling her warmth against his skin. The room was spilled over with a warm light coming from the steady fire with red and orange flames, vermillion, dancing under the mantelpiece. Remus and Tonks were lying upon his mattress, forgetting the world and seeing only paradise. Tonks smiled against Remus' grin, reveling in the feeling of skin against skin.

_Hey, little train! Wait for me!  
><em>_I once was blind but now I see  
><em>_Have you left a seat for me?  
><em>_Is that such a stretch of the imagination?_

_Hey little train! Wait for me!  
><em>_I was held in chains but now I'm free  
><em>_I'm hanging in there, don't you see  
><em>_In this process of elimination_

_Hey little train! We are all jumping on  
><em>_The train that goes to the Kingdom  
><em>_We're happy, Ma, we're having fun  
><em>_It's beyond my wildest expectation_

And even though fires were lit all around, snow still fell upon the ground.

* * *

><p>Replies:<p>

RemusTonksFan: Yeah, Remus never struck me as a drinking type but we'll see how it goes because war is going to be coming soon. Though Sirius, ha we all know he drinks. Also, now I can't look at a bar of chocolate without thinking of Remus *sigh lol, Thank you for reviewing! xD I love your reviews! Always, thank you!

FireLily25: Thank you! I appreciate your support and your review so much! And as for Narcissa, yeah, somehow whenever I read her character (how she tries to help her son and in the last book how she only cares about Draco and in a way Lucius) it just strikes me that she's a very family oriented person, she's just put in a very bad spot. And she's only bad because she's raised in a pureblood obsessed family and she's a little well, old classy ish, i don't know haha, but anyways, thanks so much! And Azkaban soon, hmm, I enjoy writing about Azkaban b.c. of one person... ;D


	26. The Noble House of Black

**Author's Note:**

Err, I'm deciding not to reply to reviews anymore because I realize I tend to babble and ramble a lot and it's a risk for me revealing spoilers about the story. I am so deeply sorry but do know that I appreciate each and every one of your reviews, everyone's. It also makes the word count of the chapter extremely high haha and I know it scares so people or it scares my friend. She was shocked when she saw I'd hit 11,000 words, wow. Anyways, if you want me to respond, feel free to call out but overall I won't respond anymore, I'm sorry. I hope you don't take offense to that...err, yea. Anyways, thank you so much for the continuous support, you don't know what your support means to me. Thank you! Now I hope you enjoy my story xD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26 – The Noble House of Black<strong>

_~ They were already dead, but death has denied them._

That year's holiday vacation had been the best one Nymphadora Tonks had ever had—and that was a big deal for a young woman who always wore a smile and vibrant pink hair. Every morning of that winter vacation, Tonks would wake up in the arms of her lover, warm and comfortable while snow continued to fall and fleck the window from the outside in the icy winter air. While the weather had dropped below freezing outside, inside was a completely different story. In front of Remus, Tonks still blushed and become flustered, as did Remus. The room's temperature often became too high and more than usual did Remus and Tonks have to get outside into the glacial air to cool themselves down.

When her holiday break from work was over, Tonks found herself wishing time would rewind itself and she'd never have to go to work. She'd gotten too used to quiet mornings beside the fire, mellow afternoons and subtle jokes, and fireside evenings with heated passion upon an old but comfy mattress. Nevertheless, it seemed all good things must come to an end.

"Will you be with Sirius in the coffee shop today?" Tonks asked as she slipped on a ruby red collar shirt and rolled her sleeves up to her elbows.

Remus came up from behind, her long black auror robes in his hands. "I'll be there with him all day," he replied as he helped Tonks into her knee length robes. "Then I'll be joining you for dinner over at Andromeda's house…if you don't mind of course," Remus smiled.

"Silly. Why would I mind?" she replied as she picked up a black beaded choker from the closet beside the mirror and examined it. Tonks made a face and sighed as she was about to put it on. Remus suddenly took the beautiful piece of jewelry from her hands and stepped behind her, putting it on for her.

"Why do you seem so down?" he asked gently from behind.

"I _really_ don't want to go to work today," Tonks confessed. "When I signed up to become an auror, I expected to have to run around in exciting cases capturing dark wizards, not guard some hellish prison with a bunch of soul-sucking demons."

Gently, Remus straightened out her bubblegum pink hair. He then wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, gazing at their reflection in the standing mirror with a smile. "An auror's duty is to protect people. Your reason for being in Azkaban is to prevent the dementors from taking advantage of their duties and kissing the prisoners there. Despite them being heartless criminals, you still should protect them," he said in a velvet-like voice.

Feeling completely at ease with expressing herself in front of him, Tonks pouted and leaned back into his embrace. "Dementors ruin my day," she said.

"I promise I'll cheer you up," he said.

A smile crossed her lips. "And how will you do that?"

"I'll think of something."

"You haven't even thought of what to do."

"Spontaneity is very romantic you know."

"You're the sweetest man on the face of the Earth, did you know that?" she asked.

"I'm not," he sighed, smiling wistfully. Remus' eyes fell upon the jagged scar he'd caused himself upon his face, gazing at it through his reflection in the mirror. "I am simply trying to be less of the monster—"

"Keep talking and I'll hex you into next week," Tonks cut him off immediately.

He chuckled rather wryly.

Sighing, Tonks asked, "When's the next moon?" Instantly, she already knew the answer.

"The sixteenth of this month," he answered.

"It's the third, so you still have thirteen days until she comes," said Tonks. "Don't become upset by the moon too early, love." She turned around and placed a gentle kiss upon his lips, then spun around again to gaze at their image in the mirror, smiling. "You are _not_ a monster, and I'll say it a thousand times more if you want me to."

"Don't," he said. "You'll be late."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Prat," she said.

"Thank you," he chuckled, picking up her wand from the bookshelf beside them and sticking it into her hoister inside her black work robes.

"I don't think pink is the color for today," she said suddenly while examining herself in the mirror. Tonks picked up a strand of her long pink hair and made a face. She then screwed up her face for a moment, looking as if she was in pain. In the next moment, the pink hair had been replaced with deep sapphire blue hair, wavy and long. "I'm feeling blue today," she smiled.

Another kiss upon her lips and Remus was forced to bid her goodbye for the day. He smiled as he walked her out of his small but homely flat and out onto the street in front of his building. Holding hands, they walked for a bit longer until they reached a small alley where Tonks stepped in and within an instant she vanished with a faint _pop_.

* * *

><p>"I bloody hate Azkaban." That was the first thing Tonks said upon her arrival.<p>

Arriving by portkey, Tonks was now standing in the middle of Azkaban Prison. She was joined by Dawlish, resuming his guard duty in the prison, and Proudfoot, there because he'd accidentally offended Dolores Umbridge in the brief moment he saw her returning to her office. Tonks was friendly with him—he called Umbridge an unreasonable twat.

Azkaban Prison was a gigantic stone ziggurat protected and bound by powerful magic preventing escape. The prison was of a weird architectural design that made the layout of the place incomprehensible and utterly confusing. It was also rigged with about a million defensive spells and looming, cloaked dementors. The entire prison seemed to be held up by magic, because the stone walls were cracking and peeling and the conditions were terrible. Standing there, Tonks suddenly felt as cold as ice and she could often feel icy gusts of air sweep her by. The prison was dreary and eerie, its walls echoing with either deafening silence or cruel, terrifying shrieks. The lights were dim and it felt drafty. With dementors looming at every turn, the prison seemed more like a living nightmare than a place for remorse.

Tonks shivered. "How can you stand being here all day? It's fucking terrible."

"It's better not to complain. You're going to be stuck guarding this place for a long while," said Dawlish, being more acquainted with Azkaban and its workings than them.

"Whatever," Tonks grumbled. "Thanks Dawlish. Now, where do I go to guard?"

"Cell Block 13," he said. "Follow the signs and it'll lead you straight there. Oh and summon a patronus by the way. The dementors tend to feed on…_visitors_ as well. They don't get much happy thoughts around here."

She was alone now. Tonks pulled tighter on her robes that suddenly felt too thin. The vapors of her ghostly breath could be seen as she looked around. When Tonks found the signs leading her to the individual cell blocks, she suddenly grumbled to herself.

"No bloody elevators. This is really a god forsaken place. I'll be damned if I have to come here again tomorrow." She shook her head and continued walking. "_Expecto Patronum_," she said, and an ethereal form of a ferret suddenly appeared from the tip of her wand. Her playful ferret danced around her as Tonks began ascending the stairs one by one, cursing every so often.

Dementors would often swoop down on her, attempting to break though her ferret patronus. Some would be cloaked and hooded, showing nothing but black and darkness. Others, the ones Tonks hated most, showed her their true face, if one could call that a face. Their hoods would be off and their face was like a skull wrapped in grey, decaying bandages. They'd try to suck out all her happy memories, but luckily her ferret would fight them off.

"I hate my life," Tonks mumbled. "I hate Fudge. I hate Scrimgeour. Stupid wankers…"

After climbing thirteen winding and endless flight of stairs, Tonks finally got to her station. Luckily it'd instructed that auror guards were to go to a certain station where they could see up and down the cell block without much further walking—Tonks didn't know how much more she could walk. She was grumpy and angry, and it wasn't even noon yet.

She'd been to Azkaban before, but only to interrogate and it never was _that_ bad. She never had time before to walk around and truly take in the horrid states of all the prisoners. That day, she seemed to have all the time in the world. And so, she walked up and down the cell block, gazing at those familiar faces which were barely recognizable after so much intense aging and stress caused by the mere state of the prison alone. As she continued to watch, her mood worsened and worsened.

Being alone in Cell Block 13 made her feel depressed. There was no one else there, no one sane that is. She wasn't alone technically. Tonks was surrounded by about a hundred, maybe a thousand prisoners lined up and down the cell block. They all were completely mad and she didn't mean it in any joking manner. Some of them were rocking back and forth on the floor. Some were in fetal position. Some were crawled up in the corner, their eyes staring blankly at the ground as if their soul had already been sucked out. And some were laughing like mad, laughing with a mental and psychotic undertow that unhinged many people.

Up and down her cell block, Tonks saw many familiar faces. Most of them had been on wanted posters, but now their state was so much different. They were more deteriorated, half-dead almost. They were already dead, but death has denied them. Looking at them, for a moment Tonks felt sad and pity. It was cruel there in Azkaban. She cringed when she saw dementors feeding. Tonks had to put her auror mask on and shake herself free before she could continue walking again, looking around. She wasn't going to stand in one place all day.

"Alecto Carrow," Tonks gasped, looking at the woman rocking back and forth in the middle of the cell. She recognized her. Carrow was one of the Death Eaters Moody and she had caught together during training. It had been a long, harsh mission. Looking into her eyes, Tonks felt that Alecto Carrow was gone. There was only a shell.

A little bit down the cell block, Tonks heard a familiar squeaking. She looked into one cell and found Peter Pettigrew, cowering behind two dementors. She hadn't seen him the last time she came while interrogating Rosier. Pettigrew seemed to be crying as they were swooping down on him, sucking out all the happy memories that came to his mind.

She stood there and watched for a moment. Tonks felt conflicted. Suddenly, without thinking she directed her ferret patronus over to Pettigrew, pushing the two dementors away from him, releasing him from the torture for a little while. Tonks sighed. Pettigrew deserved it more than anyone. He had framed her cousin. But Tonks still couldn't forget how sometimes Remus and Sirius would grow sad when they spoke of their Marauder days at Hogwarts and mention Pettigrew. He'd once been their friend.

Pettigrew whimpered again, but he saw Tonks. He recognized her. Whether it was the unforgettable face or the colorful hair (sapphire blue then), Tonks didn't know, but Pettigrew crawled over to her. He didn't say anything; he only looked at her with teary, remorseful eyes.

"That's because you'd been Remus and Sirius' friend at one point in time," Tonks told him. "But you deserve this place." And with that, she walked away, continuing down the block.

She kept on walking, her footsteps probably sounding like thunder to the prisoners. Dementors continued to swoop down, decaying and being the tangible form of death, and every time she saw them feed Tonks would cringe. She was ashamed to call herself an auror. But then Tonks reminded herself that she was only human after all, and Azkaban was inhumane.

Her breath hitched and she suddenly froze when her wandering green eyes fell upon a quiet cell, tucked away at the end of the cell block. It was an empty cell. There were no dementors there. There was no one in there. But looking inside, Tonks knew there had once been someone there, and looking on the walls, she felt stinging tears prick her eyes.

"Sirius," Tonks breathed, looking inside. It was his cell, his now empty cell.

There were writings, more like words carved on the walls by nails or something sharp and hard. Tonks hoped it was the latter and wasn't nails. She closed her eyes for a moment, pushing back all the tears. On the walls, she could see tallies. It was as if Sirius was keeping track of the days. She counted them. They were all grouped together by tens and hundreds anyways. There were 4383 tallies…4383 days. Sirius had been there for so long. A little bit left of the tallies were names and words and dates. The words were faded, but Tonks could still make them out to be legible. Sirius hadn't lost his mind, and so his words still made some sense.

Sobs broke out from her, unrestrained. Tonks' vision was blurred and for a moment, her patronus was lost. The dementors didn't swoop down on her though, she wasn't thinking about any happy thoughts. Tonks allowed herself to let the tears out for a few seconds. Sirius had been through too much. Once she was done and her tears were wiped away, Tonks summoned her patronus back, and mentally reminded herself to be nicer to her lanky, obnoxious, sometimes stupid but still caring and loving cousin.

Tonks suddenly jumped when she heard a low cackle sound behind her. The cackle was mad, unhinged long ago, and eerily familiar. Her hair had dropped to mousy brown, making her look more like her mother than ever before, especially with her eyes stained with tears. Slowly, Tonks turned around. She was scared, because she recognized that insane laugh.

Lucid green eyes met with deranged black eyes, the same ones she'd seen in her childhood and nightmares. That laughter was unforgettable. That face, which looked so much like her own, was like a dark side of the mirror. Tonks was looking at a woman with wild, untamed, curly black hair. She was once an extraordinarily beautiful and glamorous woman, but now she'd deteriorated. There was a dilapidated quality to her. Her jaw was strong but her face was boney. She looked like a skeleton in some angles. The woman looked so much like her mother, and her eyes were so much like Sirius and Alexis'. Tonks was looking at Bellatrix Lestrange, face to face.

"Shut up!" Tonks choked out but paused when insanity disappeared from Bellatrix's face.

The insanity had left her for a moment, and what replaced the insanity was something Tonks had never seen on the woman—it was _longing_. Bellatrix's eyes grew soft. She wasn't the devil like Tonks had remembered her as, nor was she the weak and empty shell Tonks had seen from her previous trips there. Bellatrix frowned and weakly, she muttered a single word that unhinged Tonks' previous thoughts and beliefs about the woman that was her aunt.

"Andy?" said Bellatrix in a teary voice.

Tonks was taken by surprise. She had to discreetly pinch herself and bite her tongue to make sure she wasn't dreaming or she was still sane and very much alive. She stood there, stunned frozen as she looked at a completely human, completely helpless Bellatrix Lestrange. Her heart ached for the woman, in the middle of a cold Azkaban cell.

"Andy…is that you?" Bellatrix asked. Tonks could see her push something away at the palm of her hand. It was a cloth rose, ones Tonks often saw at her mothers. Her mother always made them, for reasons Tonks never knew. She said it calmed her—making them. The cloth rose at Bellatrix's palm was almost identical to Andromeda Tonks'. However, it was made of torn and tattered prison robes as opposed to Andromeda's silky, velvet cloth. And when Bellatrix pushed the rose away, it fell apart because there was no pin to hold it in place.

It took Tonks a long time to recover from her initial shock. Bellatrix Lestrange actually seemed human. Tonks had to look again to make sure the woman inside the cell was really Bellatrix. She was calling Tonks' mother by her most hated nickname, _longingly_. She looked at the woman, the evil, psychotic, nightmarish witch that so many feared. Tonks saw Bellatrix Lestrange. But then…she also saw her aunt, Bella Black. And because they were kin in one way or another, Tonks felt her heart ache for her.

"I'm not Andromeda," said Tonks finally after so long.

She then morphed her hair back to her usual shade of pink. It was so unfitting for the dark and dreary prison, but it had to be pink because she was Nymphadora Tonks. Bellatrix pulled back a bit…but her eyes were still soft. A small smile fell upon her face, but it wasn't a mad smile. It was a smile that was a lot like Andromeda's smile whenever Tonks did something to make her happy or proud. It was a comforting smile Tonks knew. But it wasn't on her mother's face. It wasn't even on Alexis or Sirius' face. It was on Bellatrix Lestrange's face.

"Nymphadora," Bellatrix said in a soft voice.

Tonks was surprised. She nodded. "You remember me?"

Bellatrix nodded, and for a moment Tonks saw a glint of _something_ in her eyes, something good; something kind and warm. But it was only for a second, and then it was gone. The soft, comforting smile turned mad and unhinged. And Bellatrix's mask of insanity was put back on again. Tonks lingered in that moment, wondering what would be different if Bellatrix's mask of insanity and evil was off forever. But she didn't have much time to wonder, because soon she was being screamed at.

"Nymphadora," Bellatrix cackled. "Metamorphmagus freak! You filthy half-blood! Disgrace the name of Black! You're a disgrace to the Noble House of Black! Half-breed! Filthy half-blood!" Bellatrix shrieked.

The shrieking continued, but it didn't bother Tonks as much as it normally did. Sure the ringing in her ear from Bellatrix's screams was rather annoying, but Tonks' blood wasn't boiling. Tonks at first wondered why, but then she thought it was probably because she'd seen a more human side of Bellatrix just seconds before that.

So instead of screaming back at the woman to shut up, Tonks simply ignored her.

Tonks returned to her station to stand, ignoring the screams and insults that Bellatrix was throwing at her. In Tonks' mind, she kept replaying a bunch of memories. She replayed memories of Bellatrix torturing her mother in her childhood. She replayed her image of how Bellatrix had killed Lexi's mother and Lexi's father, Bellatrix's own brother. Tonks replayed images of Bellatrix being the evil, psychotic, and deranged witch with a fetish with the Torture Curse, the woman whom everyone feared. But then, her thoughts would be interrupted with the image of Bellatrix longingly calling her mother's name, and Bellatrix's glint of love behind her mysterious eyes. Soon, the image of Bellatrix Lestrange, pushing a familiar and symbolic cloth rose away as she very longingly called Andromeda's name refused to leave Tonks' mind.

* * *

><p>By the time her guard shift ended, Tonks felt like she was about to cry. She wanted to crawl into her bed and cry for an eternity after her visit to Azkaban. The prison wasn't scary. So many thought it was scary because of all the criminals there. But it wasn't. It was nightmarish, but not scary. Azkaban Prison was sad and depressing. The anguished screams that sounded every minute, the terrifying shrieks, the longing calls, the empty shells, the dried up tears, it was all sad. Even for criminals, Tonks found that it was just cruel.<p>

She came by portkey back to the auror office, staggering slightly as she tried to balance herself after a rough landing. Once straightened, she tried to force away all the drear and woes that she'd dragged back from Azkaban. She morphed her hair into a shade of electric blue and put on a faux grin—the grin of the Blacks which she'd made her own. Then once Tonks was ready, she left the small office where she arrived and headed for her cubicle, ready to go home. Tonks walked with a Black-like hauteur on her face, masking everything she felt behind it—she was more like them than she'd ever care to admit.

Following her plans for that day, Tonks left the Ministry from one of the gilded mantels in the Atrium, disappearing in a fiery storm of emerald flames. She heard a _whoosh_ as the image of the Ministry vanished from her sight. A feeling of freedom escalated through her when she felt the strange sensation of traveling through the floo network. Tonks personally enjoyed the ride process of flooing—she only hated the landing part.

_CRASH!_

As expected, Tonks slid out from her parents' chimney, completely botching up the landing process of floo traveling and falling onto the ground, sending up a cloud of thick grey dust and ashes in the process. Coughing and gasping for rattling and dry breaths of air, Tonks flailed her arms in all direction, feebly attempting to clear up the cloud of dust.

"_Evanesco_," a gentle, velvet-like voice called.

Remus' face was suddenly visible and the cloud of smog cleared up around Tonks, vanishing by magic. Smiling softly, Remus reached down and helped Tonks up, much to her relief. Once Tonks was stable on her feet, she looked around to see that she'd caused quite an intrusion on the quiet atmosphere. Alexis was seated on the violet armchair closest to the fireplace, her favorite as a child, her feet up and eyes popping in shook. Sirius was on the ground, a plate of biscuits still rolling around beside him as he stared at Tonks. Silvia's wand was out, standing beside Andromeda and Ted who both looked stunned.

"Um…wotcher," said Tonks faintly.

Suddenly, everything began moving in quick motion again. Alexis bounced off the armchair to help Sirius clean up the biscuits. Silvia rushed into the kitchen to grab a glass of water, Remus helped Tonks over to the armchair Alexis had been occupying, and both Ted and Andromeda suffocated Tonks with worried questions and gazes.

"Nymphadora, dear, are you alright?" Andromeda asked while Ted said, "Dora, you're so pale." Remus stood on the side, biting his lips nervously as he looked at her pallid state. It was difficult for him seeing a Nymphadora Tonks without the color she usually wore and basked in.

Feeling drowned, Tonks remained quiet until her parents back away to give her some breathing space. She sat up and Remus kneeled down beside her, his hand over the small of her back while his gentle gaze soothed her. Regaining her energy, Tonks said firmly, "I'm fine."

A glass of water was passed from Silvia to Alexis to Sirius who then jammed it into Tonks' hand. Sirius' face was grim and he looked at Tonks with a stern expression she'd rarely seen on him. "Remus told us," he said. "You've gone to Azkaban."

Tonks looked up. She should have known Remus couldn't keep a secret like such from his best friend, especially if said best friend was a stubborn Sirius Black. "Yeah," she replied. "I just didn't want to tell you…you freaked out when you learned I was just there interrogating—"

"You weren't interrogating anyone this time," Sirius cut in. "You're there on guard duty because you offended your Department Head."

"How'd you know?" Her eyes suddenly traveled to Silvia and Alexis who immediately turned to look away. Silvia stared at a spot on the opposite wall while Alexis occupied herself on a photograph sitting on the mantelpiece.

Silence consumed the group as a whole. Ted and Andromeda sat down on the old, comfortable sofa across from Tonks, eying their only daughter closely. Remus still knelt beside Tonks, taking her hands now and comforting her simply with his gaze. Alexis has sat down beside the fire, hugging her legs. Sirius and Silvia occupied another spot on the carpet. All eyes were on Tonks as if they were waiting for her to recall her account of Azkaban.

"Did you speak to Bellatrix?" Sirius asked once the silence grew to be too much.

The room's atmosphere, as if it wasn't enough already, tensed incredibly. Tonks nodded solemnly and she noticed that Andromeda had averted her eyes away to stare into the empty fire. Alexis was fidgeting with the end of her black robes, looking livid and attempting to hide it.

"I tried talking to her," said Tonks, tightening her hold on Remus' hand to reassure herself that the horrors of Azkaban would soon leave her. His presence was simply enough to console her and she was glad of that. "It was strange."

"Strange as in how?" It was her father who asked her that time.

"When I first came to Azkaban interrogating Rosier, Bellatrix was incredibly quiet. And now, she was able to scream like a mad woman."

"That's because the dementors had probably had their way with her the last time you came. That's why she's quiet," said Sirius wryly. Something seemed to be bothering him inside and Tonks wasn't the only one who noticed. Sirius looked towards the ground while Andromeda made a sudden twitch in her seat. Tonks turned to Remus who subtly pointed out to her with his finger that Sirius and Silvia's fingers were intertwined, discreetly hidden in between them. They were sitting beside each other, in a close way that Remus and Tonks often sat.

"They're together?" Tonks whispered to him, surprised.

"They've been inseparable ever since New Year's Eve," said Remus, stifling a smile.

"That's good then. Some good news at last," Tonks replied in a hushed voice.

"Nymphadora," her mother suddenly called.

Disdainfully, Tonks removed herself from the private whispering conversation with Remus and turned to face her mother. Andromeda was stoic and cold as a statue. The look in her eyes suggested that she was conflicted and the tears gathering showed she was recalling memories she thought she'd forgotten. Tonks swallowed hard as her mother asked, "What was she like…Bella-Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"Well, she was kind of hysterical," said Tonks. "She screamed insults at me, one after another, endlessly, as if she'd never run out of breath." She paused to think for a moment before adding, "But before the insults, when she first looked at me and I had my hair brown, like mum, she…mum…she thought I was you."

Andromeda shifted uncomfortably again but remained quiet.

Waiting a little, when Andromeda did not speak nor did anyone else, Tonks voiced her thoughts again. "Do you-do you think…if I pressed on…that Bellatrix would help me?" Tonks asked weakly, shooting looks around the room.

"You'd be mad to think that Bellatrix could help you," Sirius said. He sounded strained and again, Remus pointed out to Tonks that Silvia was discreetly consoling Sirius, preventing him from exploding at Tonks for going anywhere near that hellish prison. "She's loyal to Voldemort and remains loyal to him in that hell of a prison," Sirius continued. "If she helped you…that would mean betraying him." He paused and then casted a look around the room. His eyes lingered upon Andromeda and then Alexis who was still silently cooped up in the corner. "She betrayed those who…those who loved her for that snake. Tonks, she wouldn't help you." His eyes grew distant and he had that familiar look on his face, close to the look Andromeda was wearing at that very moment.

Remus tapped her shoulder and drew her attention to him again. "We'll figure something out, even without her help," he assured in a comforting whisper. "There are no dead ends."

Tonks nodded. She was trying hard not to look into her mother's pained eyes. "I never believed there were," she whispered back to him.

"As humans, we all stubbornly cling onto that tiny piece of hope," Remus replied. "Sometimes, that thread thickens and we actually attain what we hope for. Don't give up now, love. You'll find another way to go about your case."

Finally, Tonks managed a smile. She looked at him, fell deep into his eyes and lost herself in his intoxicating gaze. She managed a truthful and brilliant smile straight from her heart. She could feel it as the smile twisted across her pale lips. "I'm quite stubborn Remus. Perhaps I can…try and cling onto this piece of hope a little longer?"

He shrugged, smiling gently. "Whatever pleases you," he said. "I'll be here." He tightened his hold on her hand and Tonks felt a surge of unexplainable happiness ripple through her body like many tidal waves coming at once. Remus was like the ocean, so deep, free, supporting, always there, and ready to take in everything she had to scream out. His never-ending love always came to her like the waves that were always present on the shorelines.

Andromeda suddenly made a noise, sounding like the clearing of her throat. Tonks looked up, returning to the eerily silent atmosphere of the room. When Andromeda's lips twitched, Tonks listened aptly. Her mother began speaking and Tonks took in every word with intense interest.

"If you want her help…it's not impossible to get," Andromeda said. Immediately, Tonks noticed Sirius turn to face her, his turn so abrupt that he seemed to have cricked his head. Andromeda continued uninterrupted, her hand in Ted's. "Bella…Bellatrix Lestrange is still human after all. If…if she still recognized you, when you looked like me, then the memories she had of our childhood is still there, somewhere hidden in that monstrous shell. Those memories are your ticket in gaining her help, Nymphadora." Tonks suppressed the urge to react at the use of her dreaded first name—now was not the time. "Sirius, you remember this just as well as I. In our childhood, Bella, Bella Black, was just like anyone else. Yes, she was crazy, a little strange, stubborn, and ruthless, but she still smiled. She made us smile." Andromeda paused. Tonks could see the tears pricking her mother's eyes and she felt the same feeling she had when she saw Bellatrix. Her heart ached. "She's human after all and like us, she too wants family. Alexis," Andromeda called, addressing Alexis who sat up with a start, abruptly coming out of her reverie. "You've been in contact with Narcissa lately. I know, dear, I know," she added from the questioning look in Alexis' eyes. "Bellatrix is no different from Narcissa. We all want this family whole again, to rewind the hands of fate if possible." Andromeda turned back to Tonks. "Nymphadora, if you go at it correctly, you may just be able to tap those old memories of hers and get her to help you. You _are_ after all, her niece."

"She was the first person to ever call you Tonks," said Ted in a mellow, distant voice.

Tonks sat up, surprised. "What?"

Her father looked up at her and nodded. He briefly glanced at Andromeda before continuing, "When you were first born…Bellatrix visited one night. When she learned your name," he chuckled darkly upon the melancholy, sad but happy memory. "She said Nymphadora was a mouthful and so she called you Tonks…you had your hair the same color as mine then."

And at that moment, Tonks realized that she was more like Bellatrix Lestrange than she ever cared to admit. She too always thought her name, the word Nymphadora alone, was a mouthful. Tonks sounded better and suited her better….

Sirius stirred. Although Silvia had continued to console him through the course of the conversation, silent consolations can only go so far. He stood up abruptly and headed towards the front door saying, "I need some fresh air." He turned back before he reached the door and casted Silvia a look through sad grey eyes that made her follow him immediately. Tonks was quite certain now that whatever was going on between Sirius and Silvia had progressed. After Sirius exited, Andromeda and Ted shifted in their seats and got up. They headed into the kitchen, falling into a silent conversation of their own. Tonks' eyes traveled to the other occupant in the room besides her and Remus. Alexis was still sitting beside the fireplace, her knees drawn to her chest, her eyes distant and her expression unreadable.

"What about you Lexi?" Tonks asked, wanting to hear Alexis' voice in that matter. "Where's your voice in this?"

Lazily, Alexis dragged herself up to her feet. Only when Tonks caught a glimpse of her cousin's eyes did she see that malicious, reproachful look she'd never seen in them before. "Bellatrix may be able to help you," she said icily, sounding more like Narcissa Malfoy than herself. "Like Andromeda said…if you tap on the right memories, you might find Bella Black instead of the homicidal lunatic."

"What do you think of her?" Tonks inquired.

There was a pause. Alexis bit her lips so hard that Tonks thought they might begin to bleed. "What can I say?" Alexis replied with a hint of scorn and disdain in her voice. She said in a spiteful, malevolent tone, "My so-called aunt killed my parents. What can I say to that?" Abruptly, Alexis turned and left the living room, heading up the stairs and vanishing into the old bedroom she and Tonks once shared. Tonks and Remus were left in the living room alone.

She turned to him with a sad and lost look in her eyes. Very softly, Tonks asked, "Do you think I should press on and try to get help from Bellatrix?"

"I am in no position to tell you which thread of hope you should cling onto, love."

Tonks nodded and shifted so that she could swing her legs over the side of the armchair and lean her back on the other. She still held onto Remus' hands and rested her head on his shoulder as he continued to kneel beside her. "Say I _do_ grab a hold of this thread and question Bellatrix, will you help me?"

"In whatever way I can," he promised.

She smiled again, a gentle and soft smile. "Just be there for me. That's all I ask."

"I'll be there," he said.

"And cheer me up after I come home from guarding that insane prison."

"I will think of new jokes," he replied, stirring a gentle laugh from her.

* * *

><p>The second day back was no better than the first. Azkaban prison still echoed with anguished screams, terrified shrieks, and empty cries. It was still a hellish prison made for those denied by both life and death. Tonks walked through the wasted Cell Block 13, her eyes wandering from once cell to another, sadness dawning upon them. Even for criminals, they didn't deserve this—at least their punishment shouldn't be witnessed by outsiders. As she walked, Tonks felt ashamed for calling herself an auror. Every auror was supposed to remain cold and ruthless in face of their enemies. Yet there she was, surrounded by enemies and yet she felt sorry for them.<p>

When she got to Bellatrix Lestrange's cell, Tonks morphed her hair from a peaky violet to her natural mousy brown hair. Her eyes changed from vivid sky blue to piercing emerald green—she was the spitting image of her mother. Carefully, Tonks approached Bellatrix's cell. The woman inside was quite that day and by the image of the cloaked dementors reluctantly drifting away from Tonks and her corporeal patronus, Tonks knew that Bellatrix's silence was inflicted by the dementor's resent visit. A thought crossed her mind. What happy memory had Bellatrix been thinking about that would lure a dementor over?

"Bellatrix," said Tonks.

Her bony, strong-jawed face looked up just as Tonks bent down. When they were face to face, Bellatrix simply stared at Tonks, stared into her emerald eyes, and Tonks stared back. They didn't speak nor made the slightest movement. It'd been like that for what felt like an awfully long time. Tonks was beginning to lose track of time and had not realized how quickly the hours passed by. She got nothing out of Bellatrix that day—nothing in word that is.

On her third day, Tonks was feeling significantly worse inside. Although Remus constantly made her laugh and smile the night before, returning to Azkaban always invoked the negative feelings blocked away in the back of her mind. Each day spent inside the dismal prison meant the worst of herself coming back increasingly. When she came to Bellatrix's cell on the third day, the insane woman was screaming at the top of her lungs and Tonks was in no mood to deal with the insults. She didn't know what sort of illegal thing she'd do if she heard the term "half-breed" one more time. She felt sorry for the psychotic woman in the six-by-eight cell but her sympathy was not enough to keep her from getting angry.

"I wonder if you're referring to my dad or my mum as the non-human parent," Tonks grumbled as she passed. The third day gave her no improvements.

Surprisingly, the majority of the work week had already gone by. Tonks however, could not celebrate as she was in a particularly foul mood that morning. She'd gotten no sleep the night before because of an argument between Sirius and Silvia who were apparently in a light relationship. Their argument consisted of ceaseless, incessant screaming that lasted throughout the night. Even after Silvia stormed out of their apartment with Alexis on her tail trying to calm her down and Remus doing the same with a livid, seething Sirius, the troublesome couple still continued their argument through the floo network.

Passing by Bellatrix's cell, Tonks saw that the sadistic woman was shockingly sedate that day. Swallowing down her annoyance with Sirius and Silvia, Tonks crouched down so that she was face to face with Bellatrix. Green eyes met dark, dark brown and again, for a long time they simply stared. The silence in the prison was empty and unhinging. Unable to help herself for the uncomfortable silence was just too much, Tonks cleared her throat and began to speak, shattering the silence and the last remnants of the unidentified barrier between her and her maternal aunt.

"Bella," she called. She didn't want to think of the woman in front of her as Bellatrix Lestrange—she might end up maiming her in her foul mood. Instead, Tonks thought of her as Bella Black, the image of the girl Andromeda and Sirius had fond memories of. It was a complicated concept, but Tonks managed it nonetheless.

Bellatrix shifted and ebbed her way closer to the rusty iron bars, charmed with powerful magic. "Andy."

Tonks saw her reflection in Bellatrix's eyes. Her eyes were as dark as Alexis'—they were almost identical. In Bellatrix's eyes, Tonks looked exactly like her mother. The two women hadn't seen each other for over a decade. Perhaps Bellatrix still remembered the young Andromeda as opposed to the aged woman with wide-gazing eyes and brown hair flecked with grey. Tonks decided to speak more to Bella, hoping to receive some aid for her case.

"Wotcher," Tonks greeted awkwardly. _How do you talk to your deranged and homicidal aunt whom, had she been sane, would have killed you where you stand?_ She wondered to herself for a moment before speaking, "Do you know who I am?"

"Andy," Bellatrix replied. For the first time in her life, Tonks witnessed Bella Black's sane and completely human smile. A small smile hesitantly twisted her lips and the woman looked up at Tonks with happiness glinting in her eyes. Her voice, though raspy and hoarse, spoke words gently. Tonks had never seen this coming. She expected Bellatrix to scream and curse at her, not acknowledge her, albeit as her mother, kindly. "Cissy came and spoke of you," Bella Black said eagerly, ebbing closer to the bars.

"Cissy?" Tonks mused aloud. She then realized it must be the nickname given to Narcissa Malfoy. At first Tonks wondered how Narcissa could visit Bellatrix, but after remembering that she was married to Lucius Malfoy, Tonks knew it was because of connections.

"You've spoken to Cissy," Bella said quickly and eagerly, falling into a rather possessed state. Her eyes were wide and her wry smile remained present. "You two spoke about me." Her eagerness in her tone grew. "You haven't forgotten…."

"No," Tonks replied, trying to think of what her mother would say. "I haven't."

"You still remember Bella," the dilapidated woman smiled.

Tonks nodded rigidly in a way her mother would have, keeping her chin up and trying to play out the Black family hauteur. "Why did you…leave us and join He Who Must Not Be Named?" she asked, wondering if her mother ever referred to him by his name.

Bellatrix pulled away slightly, her eyes growing sad like that of a child's. She pouted her lips. In a way, Tonks thought she was taunting her but was in fact, not. "He had all the answers," Bellatrix replied. "Our blood, the pure and royal blood that courses through our veins must not be tainted. But you," Bellatrix's eyes bulged. "You tainted yours with that filthy mudblood husband of yours…"

"And Nymphadora…?" She'd surprised herself. Had Tonks really just used her own dreaded first name willingly in conversation?

Shaking her head, Bellatrix pulled back again. "Tainted," she said. "You've besmirched our family name!"

Chafed by Bellatrix's words, Tonks said, "And what about you? Because of your stupid pureblood obsession, you've killed Marcus and Michelle Black, Lexi's parents!"

It was silent for a moment, but only a moment. Suddenly, Bellatrix's mad cackle ringed through the air, echoing in Tonks' mind and made surface Tonks' worst nightmares and memories of the woman. At first she was affronted, but then Tonks softened when she saw glittering tears prick Bella's glossy eyes.

Her rabid cackle rang on for a while longer until Bellatrix said with a completely unhinged smile, "They had to die. The Dark Lord said they had to die—they were getting in the way." A muscle in Tonks' jaw must have twitched—she sensed no remorse in the woman. "If Barty hadn't informed him that it was Marcus and Michelle secretly helping all those muggles, no one else would've known…" Bellatrix showed no remorse, but she did show sadness.

"Barty?" Tonks asked, catching on to every detail of the woman's words. "As in Barty Crouch? Barty Crouch Jr.?"

"Pity," Bella said in an airy voice with a subtle frown and a distant look in her faraway eyes. "If Barty had not been trying to win over the Dark Lord's trust, they wouldn't have died…." She bit her lips and swallowed. "Pity."

_Bellatrix was following orders,_ Tonks mused. _If Lexi hates Bellatrix that much for following orders, she'd despise Crouch for being the catalyst of her parents' death. Lexi would murder him cold!_ Her green eyes dawned with realization.

"Bella," said Tonks softly. "Where is he? Where is Crouch?"

"Barty?" she smiled as if thinking fondly of him. _Bellatrix is insane_, Tonks thought. "He escaped long ago—promised to break us all out the moment he gets the chance. Barty will keep to his word…or else the Dark Lord will kill him." She smiled again; a pleasantly insane grin.

"How did he escape?"

"You don't know?"

"_How_ did Barty Crouch Jr. escape? Bella?"

"Well his parents helped him of course," Bellatrix replied as if it was the most normal thing ever. "His mum was dying of grief. The dementors could feel it. _I_ could feel it. Death was upon her. She wanted to help her son before she died."

"What happened?" Tonks pressed when Bellatrix's pause was too long.

"Polyjuice potion," Bellatrix grinned, showing rows of raw yellow teeth in her psychotic smile. She began to cackle again. It was a low, rumbling cackle. She continued with her deranged laugh while backing up towards the wall.

Tonks fell back, her eyes wide with thought. "Polyjuice potion," she said, wondering why she'd never thought of it before. "Bloody hell."

"Don't say that Andy," Bellatrix said suddenly in an inquisitive tone. "Mother does not like it when you use foul language."

"Oh sod off," said Tonks in a manner as if speaking to Alexis or Sirius. She paused and looked up, realizing she was speaking to Bellatrix. Tonks swallowed and forced her mind to return to Barty Crouch's escape and repeated, "Polyjuice potion…."

* * *

><p>Friday of that week was the last day Tonks had to guard Cell Block 13 of Azkaban prison. No longer would she have to put up with the looming, decomposing dementors and their rattling breaths drew in gasps. No longer did she have to worry about putting her guard down, losing her patronus, and having the eager dementors glide in for a feast of happy memories. And no longer would Tonks bear witness to the punishments issued there.<p>

On her last day guarding the prison, Tonks came in with a smile and lime green hair, tempting the hungry dementors to no end. She walked straight to Bellatrix's cell on the far end of the cell block, a present clasped in her hands. When she reached the cell, Bellatrix was asleep on the ground, bruised dark circles present under her eyes. She hugged herself tightly as she slept, looking so vulnerable and weak. Tonks' heart panged for the woman who was, in all honesty, a part of her deranged family.

"My mum asked me to give this to you," Tonks said softly to the sleeping woman. "She said…it's from Andy…." Last night, Tonks was finally told the reason why Andromeda despised her nickname _Andy_ more than anything in the world. It was the nickname Bellatrix had given her and to call her _Andy_ brought back memories of her childhood which pained her and taunted her.

From the palm of her hand, Tonks placed a small, satin rose onto the ground. The rose was a deep, deep crimson, blood red and shimmery. Her mother had folded it just the night before, painful tears pricking the back of her eyes as she handed it to Tonks. Now Tonks was giving it to Bellatrix. She gave her a rose that stayed, charmed by magic, and would never fall apart. Looking at the rose, Tonks wished her family had been like that. Tonks wished her family was normal, that they weren't from the Noble House of Black. She wished her deranged relatives weren't obsessed with blood purity and their sanity were intact. Maybe then they'd be whole….

Taking out her wand, Tonks slowly pushed the rose towards Bellatrix. She was an auror and transporting small items through the charmed iron bars of the prison cells were easy for her. Once the rose was inside, Tonks used a levitation spell to send it over to Bellatrix, placing it down near the woman's enclosed hands.

She then stood up. "Goodbye…Bella," she said softly before turning and returning to her guard station, finishing the last day she hoped to have to guard Azkaban.

* * *

><p>At night, Tonks was lying comfortably in Remus' warm embrace, her eyes half closed and her body weary from the day. She was ready to fall asleep. She wanted to fall asleep, lying there on the comfortable mattress in the corner of his homely little flat, but she couldn't, somehow. Tired, Tonks blinked slowly, staring up at the ceiling while Remus stroked her hair. She then turned and found her way into his gaze, locking it for just a moment, and then smiling softly. She looked at him, feeling happiness surge through her, and she grinned.<p>

"Something's on your mind," Remus said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been doing that constantly for the past half-hour," he smiled.

"What? Smiling?" she asked, widening her grin. "Well you're kind. A girl can't even smile to her lover," she scoffed.

He chuckled gently and lying against his chest, she could feel his laughter reverberating through his body. Tonks felt exhilarated by the feeling. "No," he laughed softly. "Smiling is perfectly fine. But you've been trying to fall asleep but failing. Then you turn to me and smile, and then try to fall asleep all over again."

"I can't sleep," Tonks groaned.

"What's on your mind, love?"

"I don't know."

He was quiet for a moment, looking at her adoringly. "You _have_ to have some idea."

"I guess it's just recent events."

Remus suddenly shifted so that he now lay on his back beside her, his hands behind his head and he too was gazing at the empty ceiling. "Talk to me," he said.

"Well, the whole thing with Bellatrix and my mum," Tonks began voicing her thoughts. One of the many endless things she loved about Remus was that he understood her, even when she herself does not. Her thoughts were scattered and senseless…but yet he understood perfectly. Smiling and comfortable, she continued, "Azkaban was completely miserable. Bellatrix…she's insane. Yes, she's completely mad. When I saw her, her emotions could change in an instant." Tonks paused. "Who knew it was actually Crouch Jr. who was the true reason why Lexi's parents were killed. Bellatrix said it herself if he hadn't opened his stupid mouth to You-Know-Who, then her parents may have survived." Tonks paused again. "Do you think she's lying?"

A short moment was spent in silence as Remus contemplated over Tonks' words and made sense of them. "It all seems to fit," he said. "Crouch Jr. needed to gain Voldemort's trust and so he brought forth the murder of Lexi's parents."

"She's Bellatrix Lestrange though," said Tonks. "Can she be trusted?"

"Do _you_ trust her?"

"For some strange reason…yes."

"Then that's it. You trust what she said. You shouldn't trouble yourself with too many questions." He smiled as he turned to face her.

"What should I tell Lexi then?" Tonks asked. "Crouch Jr. is the reason her parents were killed." She suddenly paused, thinking. "Bellatrix was only following orders."

Remus shifted slightly and sighed. "I think you should just find a good opportunity and tell her. Lexi would want to know."

"But you know Lexi's temper. If she becomes hell-bent and vengeful against Crouch, she'll be too rash and aggressive to help us capture him."

"I don't know then," he said, shaking his head. "It's your decision."

Sighing, Tonks shifted into a more comfortable position and began thinking again.

"Take it from an expert. Don't think. Thinking is dangerous," he said suddenly.

"Never thought I'd hear that out of you," she teased.

"I've come to realize after spending so much time with you and Sirius that there is no point in thinking about the worst possible outcome of every situation. I'd only be torturing myself more than necessary. So I concluded that I might as well not think at all."

"Remus, that's not true and you know it. You still think. You just like to say that you don't anymore," Tonks smiled. She was pushing aside the thought of telling Alexis about Crouch Jr. Eventually she'd have to tell but before the time comes, Tonks felt it better to let her cousin's already troubled mind at peace—she didn't need any more problems to weigh her down.

"You're not making any sense at all!" he laughed.

"Neither were you," she replied.

He shook his head and rolled over to hug her. As he pulled her back into his arms with care and tenderness, he said, "Let's go to sleep. You have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"About Crouch's case, yes," Tonks sighed. Now that she'd finally gotten a lead, the case was back in action. She had agreed to meet with both Alexis and Silvia tomorrow at work to sort out what to do next about their case. Tonks had not told Alexis about the relation between her parents' death and Barty Crouch Jr. She only knew that once she does tomorrow, her cousin would be livid in fall into a particularly sour mood for the majority of the day. They then also have to work out a way to question Barty Crouch Sr. about how he helped his son escape Azkaban. It was yet another problem upon their troublesome list.

"Thinking again are we?" Remus asked, kissing the nape of her neck.

"You are too!" Tonks replied.

"I admit I am."

"What are you thinking about, love?"

He grinned sheepishly and said, "Chocolate."

Tonks rolled her eyes. Remus had been extremely positive and sweet in the past few days trying to cheer her up from Azkaban. She had to admit that when Remus was not worried about the upcoming moon and the troubles they were facing, he was the sweetest man on the face of the Earth. The only things that really go through his mind were books, chocolate, and her.

"Here," she said, reaching over to the windowsill beside the bed and taking down the half-eaten bar of milk chocolate for him. Carefully, Tonks pulled back the gold foil with Honeydukes' logo on it and fed him the chocolate. Smiling, Remus took a bite. As she re-wrapped the bar and placed it back onto the windowsill, Tonks said, "You're like a big baby."

"How am I like a big baby?" he asked innocently.

"All you care about is chocolate."

"Not true," he said. "You're second to nothing in my world." The look in his eyes was so earnest and true, Tonks' heart skipped a beat.

"But I'm still second," she said, smirking.

He made a face. "Stop playing with my words," he groaned.

Laughing, Tonks placed an ardent kiss upon his lips. She grinned against their kiss as she tasted the chocolate on his lips. It tasted so good and warm upon soft, irresistible lips. She kissed him harder, wanting to just steal those lips away for herself. When Tonks pulled back reluctantly a moment later, she and Remus were both gasping for air and chuckling at themselves.

"Sleep now?" Remus asked her.

"Sleep," she nodded, shifting so that she laid closer to him.

Another of the million reasons why she loves her romance with Remus was that they did not need to constantly shag each other to feel happy. It was love. They were perfectly happy beyond their wits' end to lie in the arms of the others. Tonks grinned while in his embrace and Remus was nuzzled up against her, his warm, protecting arms wrapped around her body while his feet tickled hers under the blanket.

"Goodnight Remus."

"Goodnight Nymphadora."


	27. The Ties That Bind

**Author's Note:**

Thank you everyone for your continuous support and for not taking offense to me not responding to reviews :) Now for this chapter, I hope you enjoy it and I hope it doesn't feel too rushed or anything. Thank you!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 27 – The Ties That Bind<strong>

_CRACK!_

Soft snow was falling from the London sky, covering the city in a fluffy blanket of white snow. The snow concealed the stretches of road on the ground only to be stepped on by passerby. Footprints are created and erased as more and more snow fell from the endless London skies. It was a bright and quiet day, a peculiarity in London. Only several people crossed the streets, wearing hasty trenches in the piling snow. None of them had noticed the sudden appearance of an exceptionally vibrant woman with turquoise blue hair, appearing from the alley—she got onto the street quickly and walked as if she'd been on that road for a long time.

Tonks' baby blue scarf whipped her in the face as she strode down the road. She ignored it and continued on as the scarf flopped to the side of her face, falling onto her shoulder and swaying in her stride. She was impatient on getting to Sirius' coffee shop. For the past several days in late January, Tonks had been gathering more and more information on Crouch's escape from Azkaban and treaded upon a problem: investigating Barty Crouch Sr.'s scandal publically would be highly discouraged by the Ministry of Magic….

She was left with no other alternative but to find a way to investigate by stealth. That day, she was meeting with Alexis and Silvia at Sirius' coffee shop. Desperately grappling at the lead and progress she was finally making in her case, Tonks went forward with great trepidation. She didn't know what more would happen but she was ready to finish the investigation.

Her eagerness brought her too far and Tonks had to make a sudden sharp turn on the street corner, continuing down the intersecting road without slowing down. Finally, she arrived at the small but bustling little coffee shop. Its ruby red canopy stood out from the grey of London. Instinctively, Tonks' green eyes traveled to the window where she knew a table would be reserved by Sirius for their meeting. A pleasant smile crossed her face when she saw the shabby and pallid man sitting there, entranced by a plastic menu.

Remus sat, unaware that she was gazing at him just outside the window. His light brown hair was slightly disheveled and his face lacked color. Tonks smirked—she was going to bring some into him soon. January's full moon had recently passed by and after recovering from the repetitive but painful transformation, Remus was all smiles now, knowing there was another thirty days before the next. Grinning and struck by cupid's arrow multiple times, Tonks knocked on the window to get his attention. She childishly waved to him by swaying both arms in the air and upon his laugh, scurried to the front door and into the coffee shop.

When she saw him, his smile lit up her day. "Wotcher," she greeted.

"Wotcher-I mean…" he paused and laughed. "Hello, Nymphadora."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, smiling. "I thought you'd be at home resting or otherwise wolfing down a massive bar of chocolate."

Talking playfully to her as she took a seat beside him, Remus said, "I have been _wolfing_ down my feelings with chocolate," he said with a chuckle. "But after Sirius told me that you need help coming up with an alternative to your investigation, I thought I'd help."

Beaming in his presence, Tonks shook her head, held his face adoringly with her right hand and wove her fingers into his with her left. "Don't lose sleep over my work," she said.

"I feel obligated to help."

"Why is that?"

"Because of Barty Crouch Jr. and whatever scheme he is planning, I've lost my job and gone through several regrettable and painful transformations," he answered wryly.

"Oh, right," Tonks replied.

"And I can't stand seeing you so swamped in work," he added, scooting closer to her.

Elated, Tonks said, "You're such a sweetheart, you know that?"

Remus suddenly felt thoroughly delighted. He couldn't believe that he was still blushing over simple complements. Smiling, he said, "I think I do."

Tonks laughed; her laughter soft but low, like a chuckle. "Where's Sirius?"

"He and Silvia are in the back using a Confundus Charm on his manager. Apparently Sirius had been doing it wrong the entire time and Silvia feared he'd caused some minor brain damage to the unfortunate bloke."

"Sounds like Sirius," Tonks scoffed. "Lexi said she'll be coming in a minute. I bet you she'll be late. She was with Marrick last I saw her."

"Don't make fun of their romance," Remus smiled. "They're like us."

"Like us," Tonks laughed. "You don't know what they were doing in the supply closet." Tonks faked a dramatic shiver.

Remus suddenly leaned in and whispered a question to her as if the wall had ears. "You still haven't told Alexis about Crouch's relation to her parents' death?"

Tonks shook her head. "Not yet…speak of the devil," she said, spotting Alexis trying to pull herself and her massive pile of papers out of a small rouge telephone box. "That was quick."

By the time Alexis had managed to pry herself and her tottering pile of papers out of the ruby red telephone box and made her way into the coffee shop, Sirius and Silvia were already traipsing over to Remus and Tonks at the table. Sirius pulled up several more chairs for them, grumbling under his breath at not being able to use magic in the presence of muggles. He sat down beside Silvia, their legs touching and fingers intertwined under the table. Alexis sat down, completing the final side of the triangle around the table, her ridiculously huge pile of papers as her partner. Tonks thought Alexis looked lonely between the two sets of lovers but Remus thought otherwise. That smile and flustered look on her face didn't expel loneliness at all.

"Now that everyone's here, let's get straight to business," said Sirius enthusiastically. Tonks' heart dropped a little, wondering what sort of mad scheme he had inside his mind. "Silv told me all about the troubles you three are facing with your case because you're now investigating the scandal behind Crouch Sr., correct?"

Tonks nodded. "You're so informed, Padfoot," she drawled lazily.

"And you now have to investigate by stealth because Fudge wouldn't allow you to besmirch Crouch's name in any way," Sirius continued.

"That wasn't obvious at all, Padfoot," Alexis smirked, sarcasm dripping from her lips.

"Nip it Black, Tonks," Sirius replied with narrowed eyes and mimicking Snape's drawl.

Silvia rolled her eyes and shifted to the edge of her seat. Remus was listening intently and he could have sworn he saw Silvia slap Sirius' thigh swiftly, effectively hushing him up. As he exchanged knowing glances with Tonks, Remus had to suppress a smirk as did she. "What we need is to settle on what to do next," Silvia said in a business-like tone, pulling their focus to her. "From what Tonks found out, we know that both Mr. and Mrs. Crouch helped their son escape Azkaban. The question is how. Polyjuice potion is used of course, but how did they get pass the dementors and how was it that aurors and dementors found Crouch's dead body…after he supposedly escaped?"

Remus shifted and Silvia's attention fell upon him. He sat up and cleared his throat softly before speaking, "When you and Sirius told me about this, I've been doing some thinking and mulling over the facts that we know. Remember when you, Lexi, and Nymphadora dug up Crouch's grave but the casket was robbed? Perhaps there was a reason for that," he suggested.

"What reason?" Tonks asked.

"Let him go on, Tonks," Alexis spoke up, her dark eyes contemplative and thoughtful.

"How is it that the dementors never noticed Crouch leaving Azkaban? How were they able to find his body, dead, several days later?"

"Get on with it Moony," Sirius huffed.

His blue eyes flickered again and Remus couldn't help but smirk that time as Sirius and Silvia stepped on each other's feet under the glass table. "I propose that they must have switched bodies." Remus paused, smirking at the dawn of realization in Tonks' beautiful green eyes. "Nymphadora mentioned that polyjuice potion was the key factor, correct?"

Tonks nodded too many times. "That's what Bellatrix told me."

"That means that Mrs. Crouch may have manipulated polyjuice potion to switch bodies with her son. She became Barty Crouch and he became her. His father, Mr. Crouch then snuck him out of Azkaban. The dementors obviously wouldn't have noticed—two persons went in, two came out, and Crouch was disguised to look like his mother. That's probably how he escaped."

"If your extremely reasonable prediction is true," Alexis began. "Then Mrs. Crouch's body would have been the one the dementors buried. She was the one in that stolen casket!"

"Mrs. Crouch most likely died of grief while in prison because of what her son did," Silvia spoke up. "It's a reasonable cause of death…grief and sorrows can tear your soul out."

Shaking her head as she saw Sirius comfort Silvia discreetly by tightening his hold of her hand, Tonks turned her attention to Remus. Biting her lips, Tonks tightened her grip and he returned with a gentle squeeze of his own and a subtle smile. Tonks turned back to the conversation and said, "If we are to prove Remus' prediction correct, we need to see what's buried inside Mrs. Crouch's grave."

"If the casket is empty, we know they've switched bodies and we can go ahead and interrogate Crouch, then do whatever you aurors do and go on from there," said Sirius.

"How are we going to do that without Fudge's or Scrimgeour's approval?" Silvia asked.

Sirius sat up, grinning. "Remus and I thought of this too," he said.

The three women turned to look at the two Marauders with waiting eyes, wondering what sort of demented scheme they were proposing. It was Remus who answered their unspoken question. "We thought of—in blunt—grave robbing…."

"Err, what was that?" Tonks asked, unbelieving of what she'd heard.

"Grave robbing," Sirius repeated.

"You're joking!" Alexis, Silvia, and Tonks exclaimed all together, appalled.

Sirius and Remus only grinned wryly and Tonks fell back. That was where the Marauder nature of Remus and Sirius always got her. They come up with the most preposterous plans. Yet, Tonks had a feeling that she would be going through with them. It didn't seem like a bad idea….

"But that's illegal," said Silvia.

"Not if you don't get caught," Sirius smirked. "Besides, we're not exactly _robbing_. We just need a little peak. In technicality, it's not illegal—just a little…demented."

"Nymphadora?" Remus asked. He obviously was letting his Marauder side overrule his logical self. Usually, Remus would find the scheme absurd.

"Ok, grave robbing. How do you suppose we rob a nobleman's wife's grave?" she asked.

"There are five of us. And I've got a plan," said Sirius. "Lexi?"

Alexis paused for a moment before saying, "She's buried in the Nobilis Cemetery."

"I can't believe we're actually going through with this," Tonks sighed, casting Remus a reproachful glare in which he replied to with a shrug and a wry smile. "Marauders," she groaned.

* * *

><p>Heavy rain pounded the soggy grassland of the Nobilis Cemetery just north of London. The cemetery grounds were the resting place to many pureblooded witches and wizards refusing to be buried in simple muggle cemeteries. For miles on end there was only grass and trees. Several small houses and cottages stood, a fair bit of land between each, neighbors keeping to themselves. It was a lonely and quiet place where the sound of the earth and nature echoed eerily through the empty air.<p>

The night was cold, patches of snow flecking the ground, quickly turning icy with the falling, pelting rain. The pitter patter of the rain sounded like drum beats even as it fell upon soggy dirt. Not a soul was visible for miles and upon the cemetery grounds, the large, dilapidated three story house of the sulky old grave keeper stood erect in loneliness. The house was falling apart, three stories creaking and moaning as the heavy rain pounded upon its ancient roof. A broken window on the second landing allowed endless raindrops inside the house, wearing down the termite-eaten wood and flooring. As a strike of lightning tore through the clouds, a crack of thunder penetrated the silence, the house rattled and shivered like a mini earthquake. The lights went out, plunging the swaying house into absolute darkness.

"Bloody lights," the sulky old grave keeper mumbled as he fumbled for his wand. His shaky hand pulled the long wooden stick out from his pocket and with a flick of his wrist he summoned a ball of light, glowing on the end of his wand.

A sudden sound of feet caught his attention. The grave keeper's aging blue eyes turned towards his window overlooking the cemetery and peered outside. In the pouring rain, he could have sworn he saw a figure move by. Curious, he took a step towards the window to see. In the graveyard, there were often many ghosts and spirits wandering around and they always scared him. Holding his breath in great trepidation, he took another step towards the window marred from the outside by raindrops. There, a far distance away from his house where the great ash tree stood, he saw the figure of an animal. It was a great, large animal, four-legged and resembling much of a dog. Shadowed in the night and made nearly invisible by its black fur, the dog was sniffing around for something near the grave stones.

Pulling back, the old grave keeper grumbled. "Stupid dog—got to get him out before he messes up the graves," he said as he hobbled over to the wooden counter to grab his keys. "AH!" he yelled suddenly when a knock sounded upon his door. Leaning back on the counter and patting his poor old heart, he drew several deep breaths before limping towards the door. He snarled, "What do you want?" when he opened the squeaky front door but stood back when he saw two figures in the doorway.

Standing before him was a tall, lanky man wearing a dark brown suit with blue pinstripes, reminding the grave keeper of a squire he once knew. Beside the man was his eccentric companion many years younger than him with soggy violently violet hair. Both were shaking from the rain, their feet muddy from the wet, snowy grounds, and they were holding hands, looking very much like lovers. The grave keeper thought it odd but he kept a cordial face and greeted them, wondering what they were doing there in a lonely cemetery so late at night.

"Can I help you?" the grave keeper asked.

"Yes, hello," the lanky man greeted, "We were passing by on a trip and were wondering if we could use your bathroom."

"There's not a house for miles and I don't think I can last much longer," the young woman added with a cheeky grin.

The grave keeper hesitated but he still relented in the end. It would be cruel and completely unsanitary to tell the young woman to go find a tree and relieve herself. "Come on in then," he replied coolly. "Is that your dog there by the ash tree?" he asked, reminded of the dog.

"What dog, sir?" the man asked as he stepped inside.

A momentary silence passed by and the grave keeper replied, "Nothing." Stepping into the house, the grave keeper held his illuminating wand up to the two strangers to see their faces more clearly. When the light hit the lanky man's face, he immediately spotted pale, faded scars, claw marks, across his face. "Young man, what happened…?"

"A minor work related accident," the man replied quickly before the grave keeper could finish his question. "Thank you so much for letting us use the bathroom quickly," he smiled. He had a kind face and looked relatively young despite his weary complexion. Standing beside his bubbly friend, the two didn't look too odd of lovers.

"Um, excuse me sir," the woman said timidly as she swayed in her stance. "I err…really need to go." Her smile was pleasant and wide, a rarity in that lonely grassland.

"Oh yes, follow me," he replied and proceeded to lead her to the second landing, his illuminating wand guiding the way. "I'm afraid the entire second floor is a little slippery so watch your step," he warned her. For a fleeting second, he saw an apprehensive look cross her pale, heart-shaped face. They reached the second landing, its floor slippery and loose because of the intruding rain. The entire house swayed in the storm and the old man suddenly felt the woman's hand on his shoulder, gripping him tightly. He was about to turn around but she apologized and said, "Sorry, terribly clumsy I am." They continued and when he reached the bathroom, the grave keeper left her there. "Here we are," he said, then turned around, about to return to the bottom landing where her lanky companion stood waiting.

Suddenly, he felt something hard jab the back of his neck—it felt awfully similar to a wand tip. Before he could react or turn around, he heard the woman whisper "_Dormio_." The next thing he knew, darkness collapsed upon him and nothing could penetrate the pitch black. He heard nothing, saw nothing, and felt nothing….

"Oh bloody hell," she groaned as the old grave keeper fell unconsciously upon her. The light on the tip of his wand went out and plunged into darkness, she slipped on the wet and squeaky floor and fell to the ground. "Remus!" she called.

Footsteps drummed up the wooden stairs. "_Lumos_," he said. The next moment, Remus was at the woman's side, holding his wand in between his teeth as he helped her up to her feet then pulled the unconscious grave keeper, his head lolling to the side, up. "Sorry," Remus smiled as he held his wand in his hand again. "I should have gone up with you."

"Yes you ah!" Tonks replied, slipping again and bouncing onto her buttock. "Bugger it all! Bloody rain and stupid house!" she yelled.

"Hush," Remus said. "The grave keeper is only asleep. Come on love. Let's get this man to his bed before he wakes up."

"Should we modify his memory?" Tonks grumbled as she grabbed onto his hand and pulled herself up.

"I recommend we do it," Remus replied, dragging the old man's limp body down the hall as Tonks pushed open the doors, searching for a bedroom. "Err, let's just drop him on his sofa," Remus grunted as they neared the staircase.

"Alright," said Tonks. "Can you place the memory charm on him? I'm terrible with memory charms," she added as she helped Remus lift the man down the staircase.

With a huff, Remus placed the old man upon his battered sofa. "Can't Lexi or Silvia do it? I'm only average myself."

"I don't know about Silvia," said Tonks, glancing out the darkened window. "But Lexi's horrendous. If she does the memory charm, we might have to take him to St. Mungo's and put him in the Janus Thickey Ward." Tonks sighed, straining her neck to see out the rain splattered window as Remus repositioned the old man to a more natural position on the sofa. "I wonder if Sirius has found it yet. Oh yes, what about Sirius?"

"He's no good either," Remus answered. "I'll just do it and let Sirius continue digging." Pulling out his wand from the inside of his dark brown overcoat, Remus muttered the incantation, "_Obliviate_," and placed the tip of his wand onto the old grave keeper's temple.

Paranoid, Tonks began pacing the old living room of the grave keeper as she mumbled quietly to herself. In the rumbling silence, Remus could hear her every word. "Lexi should be patrolling the skies. Silvia's patrolling the grounds. Sirius is looking for the grave and digging. This is a magical cemetery though. If something goes wrong, surely an auror would be called…."

Remus' hand suddenly took Tonks' and he pulled her closer to him. "It'll be alright," he comforted in a soft, gentle voice.

She laughed wryly. "I can't believe it," she said, sounding nervous. "You're comforting me about causing mischief—never thought I'd see the day."

He smiled then led her outside into the rain, his overcoat held over her head, feebly blocking out the falling rain. With a wave of his wand, Remus cleared up their traces from the house and closed the door behind them. Holding Tonks' hand as they shuffled through the wet and soggy snow patched ground, Remus and Tonks headed towards the large ash tree where a figure of a large black dog was digging with his hind legs.

"Looks like Sirius had found the grave," said Remus, approaching the black dog who was preoccupied with digging—more than half of his body was not visible.

"We better hurry," said Tonks, her paranoia irritating her. "No doubt someone from the Auror Department had been notified. This is a magical cemetery after all."

Remus nodded firmly and before he could say anything else, Sirius' entire body vanished into the earth. No more than a moment later, his head perked up from the hole he'd dug. Sirius had transformed back into his human form and as he climbed out of the grave hole, Tonks noticed that his entire body was covered in dirt, from head to toe.

"I'm going to take fifty showers after this," Sirius grunted as he stood up to look at them.

"Did you get to it?" Remus asked.

Sirius nodded. "Just haven't opened the top yet. Do you want to get Lexi and Silvia in?"

"Lexi has the camera," said Tonks. "Silvia said she'll switch with Lexi and patrol the sky once we find the casket."

"Well send the signal then, go on," said Sirius hurriedly. He was in even more of a rush than Tonks, but that was not out of paranoia—he was just annoyed that he was covered in dirt.

Remus face palmed himself. "Sirius, _you're_ the one sending the signal."

"Oh, right," he replied. Suddenly, Sirius transformed back into the large black dog again, bending down so that his human form gradually shifted into the form of a dog. He held his muzzle up to the night sky and barked three times. Three loud and ringing barks rang through the night sky, penetrating the thundering storm only barely.

Together, they stood waiting. A short while later, Silvia came running towards them, her dark brown hair, wet and limp, whipping her in the face. Under the blade of the moonlight that hit her face, she was magnificently beautiful with the raindrops dripping down her glossy face like tears. Sirius looked at her and smiled. Though Tonks couldn't see the difference in how Silvia appeared, she still smiled anyways. She was witnessing her cousin in love.

"Where's Lexi?" Remus asked.

Before Tonks could answer him, they suddenly heard a splash beside them and felt a gust of harsh wind hit their faces. Remus and Tonks turned around as Sirius playfully splattered Silvia's robes with mud. Alexis had landed, her entire body dripping and looking as if she'd gone for a very long swim. Alexis didn't look too happy and Remus and Tonks could only smile at her as she scowled and climbed off her streak black broom with a silver tail end.

"Finally you two give the signal," Alexis sighed, brushing her drenched silky black hair out of her eyes. "Here Silv," she said, handing her broomstick to Silvia.

"Do you have the camera, Lexi?" Remus asked.

Alexis nodded and pulled out a camera from inside her robes. "I've charmed it waterproof, no worries," she said. As Silvia mounted the broomstick, Alexis hastily added, "Careful Silv, the kick-off is kind of—"

"Ah!" Silvia squealed while blasting off into the sky before Alexis could finish.

"Scary," Alexis finished weakly.

"I request a turn on that death trap after Silv," Sirius grinned and watched her for a moment before saying, "Alright, let's get this over with before someone catches a cold."

Remus and Sirius jumped down to the grave hole below and with their wands they began prying open the wooden top nailed onto the casket. Tonks stood over top, holding her wand down with the tip illuminating way for them to see. Alexis was fumbling with the camera, apparently attempting to set up the flash so that it suited the dark and stormy night.

"Can you see anything?" Tonks asked.

"We're about to pull it open," Remus grunted.

"Tell Lexi to get the camera ready!" Sirius called up.

Alexis held the camera up to her eye and looked down into the grave. Inside, she saw Remus and Sirius' face clearly, along with the termite-eaten wooden casket. "Moony, Padfoot, cover your faces," she called.

They did as told, summoning two masks black face masks with their wands and covering their faces with it. With a loud grunt from Remus and a long groan from Sirius, they pried open the wooden top of the casket. Multiple camera snaps were heard and as Tonks stood to the side, she couldn't help but peer over out of curiosity.

"It's empty," said Tonks. "Completely empty."

"So they really did switch bodies," Alexis sighed.

"Got the pictures, Lexi?" Sirius called up.

"Loads of them!" Alexis replied. "You two should come on up now."

Standing there with her illuminating wand held over them, Tonks could see Remus and Sirius resealing the casket lid. Heaving themselves up heavily, Remus and Sirius rolled over the muddy ground with bated breathes. Covered in mud from head to toe, Remus and Sirius pushed themselves up and together with Tonks and Alexis, began laying the dirt back over the grave.

Soon, Tonks too was covered in dirt from head to toe and her body began to feel extremely heavy under the pouring rain. The grave was almost finished—looking like the same, lonely, dilapidated grave it had been before they came. Tired, Tonks dropped down on the root of the large ash tree to catch her breath while Remus and Alexis placed charms upon the grave to make it look like no one had been there. Tonks only hoped it was enough to fool an auror. Sirius had transformed back into a dog to send Silvia another signal—three raucous barks. A short while passed and Silvia still did not come down. Tonks stood up, her eyes searching the pitch black, starless sky for her friend while trying not to be blinded by the rain.

"Where is she?" Sirius asked worriedly as he too began to search the sky.

Remus looked up and his blue eyes caught Silvia streaking down to a rough landing several feet before them, looking especially surprised. "Silv, what's—"

Before Remus could finish his question, Silvia was already speaking. "I saw someone, an auror probably, coming this way. When we dug up the grave, it must have triggered some sort of spell," she explained.

"Bloody hell," Sirius said, helping Remus and Alexis and now Tonks finish the spells. "Did you see who it was?"

Silvia turned to Alexis with an unreadable expression in her eyes. "I think it was Marrick. At least…the figure looks like him."

Alexis froze momentarily, her dark eyes wide with surprise. Tonks, Remus, and Sirius finally finished the spells right when Alexis breathlessly announced, "Time to go."

* * *

><p>Late into the night, a combination of rain and snow fell from the vengeful pitch black sky. No stars were visible and the entire night echoed with the sound of thunder sending threatening roars through the night. On the street, several late-night diners remained open, attractive very few customers on that dreadfully stormy night. A small diner in a tourist infested area of London held a surprising amount of customers. Most were hiding out from the storm and more than half ended up sitting down and ordering something to eat while waiting for the storm to pass by. As the night went on, the diner began to see more peculiarities as five people entered the premise, drenched in rain and dripping as they walked.<p>

"Lucky we got the dirt off ourselves before we came or they'd think we're insane," Tonks whispered to Remus as she followed him into the shockingly busy diner.

With Sirius, Silvia, and Alexis, they took a seat at a small ruby red booth in the far corner, placed their orders for several cappuccinos, and continued the conversation they were having when out in the merciless rain.

"Now that we know Mrs. Crouch's grave is empty, what do you plan on doing from here?" Sirius asked as he subtly tried to charm himself dry with his wand hidden under the table.

"What I'm more worried about now is whether or not Marrick has figured it out that someone's tampered with the grave," Alexis said, staring at her recently served drink.

"We did a good job covering it up," said Remus comfortingly.

Silvia sat silently, looking extremely pale. She was sniffing and rubbing a runny nose while grimacing in pain. Immediately Sirius had his arms around her, that time not caring about subtlety in front of others. He asked her softly, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah," she replied. "My stomach just hurts, that's all."

"You also look like you're catching a cold, Silv," said Tonks.

"I'll be fine," she said quickly. "But Tonks, you might want to meet with Mr. Crouch and discuss this. We know for a fact that he had his son and wife switch bodies to help his son get out of prison. Maybe he'd known where Crouch Jr. had been hiding all along. I wouldn't be surprised," she said quietly.

"How do I schedule a meeting with him?" Tonks questioned.

"I'll help you," said Silvia. "I can manipulate Fudge into forcing Percy to give me a meeting," she smirked and glanced at Sirius who was smirking as well.

"Manipulation," he said teasingly. "That's a new one Silv."

"I learned from you," she smiled, hiding her stomach pains.

"Silvia, are you sure you're alright?" Remus asked concernedly. She nodded and so he continued, "Meeting with Mr. Crouch, we have to be careful. How do we question him without letting him know that we dug up his wife's grave?"

"I don't see how it really matters," said Tonks. "It's not like there was a body in there."

"Remus, I suggest you go with Tonks," said Silvia. "You're much better at reading people." She ignored Tonks' indignant "hey!" and continued, saying, "You two should question Mr. Crouch on his son and keep the topic of the conversation on that. I know Crouch. Sooner or later, he'll crack. That's how they always are."

Tonks nodded but asked, "What if Crouch is lying?"

"If I remember correctly," Sirius spoke up. "Crouch had a house-elf named Winky. I saw the elf and him at the Quidditch World Cup this summer. He fired Winky. If Crouch is lying, we can talk to Winky."

"Where _is_ Winky?" Tonks asked.

"We should worry about that after we talk to Mr. Crouch," said Remus.

"Agreed," Sirius spoke up. "Love, try to schedule them a meeting before the next Hogsmeade weekend. I want to see Harry and he hasn't seen Moony or Tonks for a while too."

Silvia smiled. "I'll try," she said.

"Feeling any better, Silv?" Tonks asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. It was an obvious lie and Sirius knew it all too well. "I'm just tired and nauseous flying on Lexi's broom."

"Speaking of which," began Remus. "Lexi, you've been extremely quiet."

"Err, people are looking at us funny," Alexis said finally, her eyes not on them but on the subtle, curious glances from people all around the diner.

Tonks looked up, nearly forgetting that they were in a completely muggle diner and they weren't necessarily keeping their conversation hushed. She stifled a laugh when Remus said, "Well I don't blame them. Our conversation consisted of grave robbing and prison escapees."

* * *

><p>Standing in front of the Crouch Mansion, Tonks felt a sudden feeling of dread overwhelm her. The mansion was tall and dark, casting a massive shadow over the dismal yard. The entire mansion looked uninhabited and no light penetrated even the cracks of the windows. There was an eerie and empty atmosphere to the building and had Tonks not been informed that an ill Barty Crouch was resting inside, she would have thought the mansion was empty.<p>

"This reminds me of something," said Tonks, standing there a little longer.

"The Shrieking Shack?" he asked softly.

"No…my mum's family home," she said. "I saw it in old photographs mum hid away."

Remus tightened his hold on Tonks' hand as comfort. "Let's go inside," he said.

Biting her lips, Tonks followed Remus up to the gleaming black wood front door of the mansion. They rang on the silver snake-head knocker and waited for a moment. When the door opened, Tonks was caught by surprise. Standing in the doorway was Mr. Crouch, his eyes popping mad and a mindless smile was twisted across his pallid face. He looked from Remus to Tonks and gestured for them to come in, greeting them with a simple nod. There was something not quite right about him. He didn't seem himself and that glazed over look in his distant eyes was awfully foreboding.

"Um, good afternoon, Mr. Crouch," Tonks said apprehensively. She had her hand close to her wand just in case.

"Hello Miss Tonks," he greeted in a strained voice. "I have not met your friend."

"Um Remus, sir," Remus said. "Remus Lupin."

Mr. Crouch's home was dark, lit merely by the small light in his fireplace flickering in the drawing room. The entire house had an old, antiquated feel to it. It was dusty and smelled of musk—signs of the lack of a house-elf. Most of the mansion seemed empty as their footsteps echoed like thunder in the silence. Tonks and Remus both stole a quick look around and realized that this mansion screamed out Slytherin pride with green and black themed decorations, often having a snake-like figure here and there.

"Hello Mr. Lupin, Miss Tonks, welcome to my home," he said, his words quickly followed by a wheezing cough as he led them into the drawing room. "I've received notice from Weatherby that the Minister requested I meet with you two."

"Weatherby, sir?" Tonks asked as she and Remus sat down on the regal sofa.

"That red-headed boy who's my assistant," Crouch replied.

Tonks had to stifle a laugh as she wondered what Percy thought of his superior now. Recovering from her momentary distraction, Tonks retained an auror face, masking her expression with a stoic look. "Mr. Crouch," she began. "I'm sure you know the reason why we are here."

"I'm sorry but I don't," he laughed in a strange way.

Remus gave Tonks a brief, fleeting glance as he whispered, "Silvia wouldn't tell the Minister she wants a meeting with Crouch to ask him about his son."

"Oh, right," Tonks whispered in response. She then turned back to Mr. Crouch. "We're here to speak with you about your son."

Mr. Crouch's expression changed significantly. Remus didn't think it was possible but Mr. Crouch tensed and his popping eyes had even more of a mad, psychotic look in them than they had before. His smile twitched and his laughter sounded unhinged. To Tonks, he reminded her of a person trapped in Azkaban. His glazed over eyes made her feel even more uneasy.

"My son," he said shakily. "I have no son."

"Mr. Crouch, your son, Bartemius Crouch Jr.—"

"He is no son of mine," he snapped in a hoarse voice before Tonks could finish.

Tonks decided to skip right to the point. "If he's no son of yours, why did you help him escape Azkaban?" she asked.

"Even _you_ can't stand seeing your own son locked up in that place," said Remus softly.

Mr. Crouch went rigid, staring at them blankly.

"Tell us how you helped him escape," Tonks said curtly.

"I did not help him. He escaped on his own accord."

"How did your wife die then?" Tonks retorted.

"She died of grief," he answered much too quickly.

"Of grief?" Tonks asked with sarcasm in her tone. "Did she really? Or did she give up her life in exchange for her son's?"

He laughed again, his laugh weak and nervous. "Miss Tonks, I don't know what you're talking about."

"My guess is," Tonks spoke, standing up and leaning over the coffee table to face Mr. Crouch who was seated on the armchair across from them. "That you helped your son and wife switch bodies using polyjuice potion, then left your wife in Azkaban to die while helping your son escape that demented prison."

Mr. Crouch laughed again, but he said nothing else.

Playing on Crouch's unstable emotions, Remus continued, "Why would you leave your wife in that prison? She is your _wife_, Mr. Crouch."

"I guess the concept of love and family is different for you noblemen," said Tonks.

"It's not different," Mr. Crouch replied in a weak and quiet voice. His voice sounded strained but Tonks noticed that the glazed look in his eyes was vanishing. He had a clearer look and it was steadily growing. She discreetly turned apprehensive, studying him closer. "It's the same and I loved my wife."

"Why would you leave her in that prison?" Remus asked softly.

"She begged me to…."

"She begged you?" Tonks asked, completely forgetting to pay close attention to Crouch's glossy eyes.

He nodded stiffly. "When my son's trial ended, my wife fainted. She was withering and drying of grief. Coming closer and closer to death, she wished to do one last thing before she died and that is to give our son a second chance. I…" he hesitated. "I took her to the prison, fed her and him polyjuice potion, and switched their identities."

"Why did you help him?" Tonks questioned.

"He'd done a terrible deed, Mr. Crouch," said Remus sadly. "He tortured two aurors, new parents, into madness. They can't even recognize their own son now, do you know that?"

But Mr. Crouch did not know. He laughed but his laughter was hollow and sad. "What else was I to do, Mr. Lupin?" he asked quietly. "I am a father. I am bound by the fatherly ties to help my own son, no matter what heinous deeds he commits." He smiled; his smile was more like an upturned frown. "When you become a father, Mr. Lupin, you'll understand that no matter how bad your son, you'll always think of him as the wonderful little boy in your arms. I admit, over the years I've grown to neglect him, but that trial was an awakening point for me. It was my negligence that led him down the path he'd taken and it's my responsibility, my duty as a father to pull him back. Like I said: I am bounded by the parental ties."

"Are you getting this?" Tonks whispered to Remus.

Remus nodded. "We have no way of recording this though."

"Crouch's word as a testimony is enough," Tonks replied.

Mr. Crouch continued. "Afterwards, he showed signs of obsession with the dark arts. I wasn't willing to let him walk down that path again. With no other options, I placed him under an Imperius Curse…."

"You used an Unforgivable on your own son?" Tonks asked, appalled.

Rigidly, Mr. Crouch nodded. "For thirteen years I did."

"So what exactly happened? Where is your son now?"

Crouch parted his lips and was about to answer Tonks' question but before he could say anything, a bone-chilling gust of wind overcame them. The glazed-over look in Crouch's eyes was suddenly more present than ever and all emotions on Crouch's face were erased completely. Remus and Tonks tensed. Instinctively, Tonks' hand shifted to her wand.

"I'm sorry," Mr. Crouch said, standing up. "There is someone I must attend to." He spoke in a robotic, monotonous voice.

As if possessed, Mr. Crouch stood up and headed towards the staircase. He began ascending it as Remus and Tonks turned to face each other both wearing apprehensive expressions. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Remus asked.

"Someone's placed him under the Imperius Curse," said Tonks. "And I don't think it wise to stay a bit longer to find out whom."

"What if it's his son?" Remus asked. "Come on," he said and pulled Tonks up to her feet.

"I guess we should follow him," said Tonks, heading towards the staircase shrouded in darkness. "He went to the second landing, correct?"

Remus shrugged. "Let's go," he said, taking her hand and leading them up the stairs. "It's quite suspicious that in the middle of a revealing conversation with us, he suddenly gets up and leave," said Remus. "I mean, what could it be?"

"If he's under someone's Imperius Curse, why would that person allow us to know more about his son? Surely whoever—"

"Nymphadora!" Remus yelled as the staircase suddenly turned slippery and both he and Tonks slid down it like a giant slide. As they slid down to the first landing, the front doors swung open and Remus and Tonks found themselves flying out the front door, landing on their backside as the two wooden doors slammed to a close.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Tonks asked, groaning as she pushed herself up.

Immediately, Remus staggered to his feet and ran towards the door. He practically tackled the front door but it did not budge. Magically sealed, the front doors no longer let opened or moved—not even the knocker allowed them to use it nor did the doorknob turn in the slightest. "He's locked us out."

Thinking fast, Tonks ran over to one of the many windows of the cold and gloomy mansion. She pounded on the glass but it seemed unbreakable. "_Bombarda maxima_!" Tonks yelled but the spell conjured by her wand only backfired and blasted her hand. She grunted and dropped her wand by shock. Holding her injured hand, Tonks glared reproachfully at the house.

Remus rushed over, cradling her injured hand in his and muttering several healing spells quickly under his breath. Looking at him, Tonks felt a warm and soothing sensation ripple through her hands. A similar but much, much stronger feeling rippled through her entire body but Tonks knew that it had nothing to do with Remus' spell. She blinked several times and forced herself to retain focus on the sealed off mansion.

"Why did he suddenly kick us out?" Tonks asked.

"There must be someone else here."

"The person who's holding Crouch under the Imperius Curse?"

Remus nodded. "There's nothing else we can do. Nymphadora, you have to report this to Silvia and have the Ministry take a look at this. If Mr. Crouch is under the Imperius Curse, something terrible could be happening."

Tonks nodded quickly. "What do we do about the Crouch Jr. Investigation?"

"I guess we'll just have to continue digging for more information from Winky, the house-elf Sirius mentioned."

"Winky? But we don't know where in the world she is!"

He heaved a heavy sigh. "Then we'll have to start looking." Remus turned to her with a gentle gaze in his ocean blue eyes. "I'll help you, don't worry."

"Brilliant," Tonks sighed, dropping her head wearily into his shoulder and standing there for a while. She'd thought she was finally making some improvements. If she could just use Crouch Sr. as a testimony in front of Fudge and Scrimgeour, they'd believe that she wasn't traipsing around and making no progress on her case. But then, Crouch being under the Imperius Curse crafted a whole new mess of trouble. Weary, she groaned, "Absolutely brilliant."

* * *

><p>Hogsmeade was wet and soggy, covered in patches of snow and shrouded by gloomy grey clouds. It was a dreary and dismal day, doing nothing to help Alexis' intensely negative emotions. She was fuming. She'd just flooed out of the Atrium; running away from a hushed but terrible argument with Marrick over what had happened to Mr. Crouch's grave. He knew she was related somehow. She didn't know how he found out, but he did. Fortunately, Marrick had agreed to keep quiet, but his anger at her complete defiance of the law caused an argument to break out between them. Hoping to calm herself down, Alexis was stomping down the streets of Hogsmeade, on a walk.<p>

"Alexis," someone called her name.

"What?" she snapped in an impudent tone she hadn't intended. She only wished to be alone and was unable to hold her biding anger back. When she turned around, Alexis faced Narcissa Malfoy, her hand gently placed on Alexis' shoulder. Her eyes softened significantly and looking at the woman who was trying to become closer and warmer towards her, she felt guilty.

Narcissa pulled her hand. "My apologies," she said icily.

"I-I'm sorry," Alexis breathed. "I just…I really want to be alone right now."

But Narcissa did not leave. She stood there, looking at her in an almost motherly way. Had it not been for the war that divided their family, Alexis had a feeling that she would be extremely close to Narcissa. Something overcame Alexis as she looked up and into Narcissa's eyes. They weren't exactly the same—no, they looked nothing alike—but the feeling inside those eyes reminded her of her father's. She stood there, trembling with bated breath.

"Something has made you angry," Narcissa said in a quiet voice.

She began to walk again with Narcissa walking beside her. Often, Alexis would glance into her distant aunt's eyes and revel in the feeling of being near her father again. She wished he was there with her at the moment—he and her mother—but it was not possible. "I just…just had a row with my boyfriend," she said weakly, feeling like a child.

Never would Alexis ever think of finding comfort in Narcissa Malfoy of all people, but on that day she did. She found comfort in the woman's eyes. They were light and brown, hazel almost, nothing like the gleaming dark brown almost black her father had, but yet the feeling was the same. It was strange.

"Did he hurt you?" Narcissa asked with concern laced in her voice.

Alexis shook her head. "He'd never hurt me," she said quietly. "We just…disagree a lot."

"It's a part of life, disagreements," Narcissa comforted. "Even between husband and wives, there are plenty of disagreements." She seemed to be speaking from the voice of experience. She was talking about her own marriage, Alexis knew.

"Do you and your husband disagree a lot?" Alexis found herself asking.

Narcissa smiled humorlessly and nodded. "Of course," she answered. "We disagree with each other on so many things; it's a wonder how we're married. But…" she paused and the smile was gone from her face. "I always find myself supporting him in everything he does, despite my disagreement with it."

"Even in things against your own conscience?" she queried in a gentle voice.

Walking slowly, Narcissa didn't answer the question directly. "I guess you could say I'm foolish," she said. "You can call me foolish, but I call myself in love."

"What do you mean?"

"When you're in love, you find yourself doing things you'd never thought you'd do in a million years, all because of your lover."

"Love's a strange thing," Alexis sighed. "I've tried to study it."

"And how did that go for you?"

"I couldn't understand a thing," Alexis managed a small laugh.

"You can't understand why one person loves another?"

"I can't understand why we can still love someone even after everything they've done."

"I can understand that though," Narcissa said. "I guess you've just got to go through it."

"How did you come to understand that?"

"I still love my sister Bella very much," Narcissa answered softly.

Alexis' expression grew icy. "How _can_ you?" she asked.

Narcissa sighed. She understood why Alexis hated Bella so much. She herself loves her sister dearly, but she also harbored a hatred for the insane woman as well. In a way, Narcissa has a love-hate relationship towards her sister Bella. If it wasn't for her, there would have still been a way for them to regain their shattered family. If Bella hadn't murdered Marcus and his wife, Alexis wouldn't hate her so, Andromeda wouldn't estrange herself from everyone else, and perhaps there would still be a chance for them to sit down together again as a family.

"Like you said," Narcissa answered, looking towards the grey sky. "Love is a strange thing. It is strange, but it is very, very strong. You cannot just take it away. I guess…you'll just have to go through it to understand."

"Are you like Andromeda…where your love binds you to a past long gone?" Alexis asked suddenly. She couldn't quite explain why but she suddenly felt more curious about the history of the Black family and Narcissa was the closest person to get answers off of. She was too impatient to wait until the time she sees Andromeda or when she sees Sirius to ask.

"Yes," Narcissa replied. "Love binds me to a set of childhood memories that I know I'll never see again." She sounded and looked sad. A woebegone look was etched inside the icy mask she wore against the world. "But sometimes, it's not just love that binds us. It's the ties…Sirius and Andy may not love Bella anymore because of what she'd done—_you_ may not love her because of what she'd done, but it's the ties you have to Bella that still binds you to her. There is no way that you or Nymphadora can deny Bellatrix is your aunt. Andy can't deny that Bella was her sister. Sirius can't deny that Bella was his cousin. It's the ties we have to others that bind us to them and…makes everything so much more difficult."

"Ties," Alexis smiled wistfully. "Treacherous, sadistic little hussies."

Narcissa nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>The night was still young. After returning to London from their meeting with Mr. Crouch, Tonks and Remus had decided to take a short stroll out on the streets, hoping to clear their mind and also to leave Sirius and Silvia some private time. As they walked, Tonks often gazed upon the starless night sky, dark blue in color, not yet black. She'd look at it for a long time, many thoughts going through her mind. She was trying not to think about her case. Tonks felt that since for the time being there was nothing more she could do about it, there was no point in troubling herself over it.<p>

"What's on your mind?" Remus asked. "The case?"

Tonks shook her head. "No. I'm actually thinking about something else," she smiled.

"What is it?" he asked, understanding that Tonks did not want to trouble herself over her case at the moment. "What's on your mind?" He tried to smile and managed a small sliver of one. Remus took her hand and walked with her down the mildly busy street.

"I'm thinking about a bunch of things," she smiled.

Seeing her smile, Remus' brightened. "Tell me them," he insisted.

"They make no sense whatsoever!"

"But we never make sense!"

"Remus!"

"I said we," he laughed.

She rolled her eyes. "I was wondering why Lexi isn't back yet."

"That is a good thing to wonder about," he replied. "But she may be over at Marrick's."

"Nah, they had a huge fight earlier at the Ministry," said Tonks. "I heard them as I was coming out of work. They were screaming at each other in the lift. No one got in—they didn't want to be caught in the crossfire."

"They'll be fine, right?"

"Yeah, they're like an old married couple," Tonks scoffed. "No matter what Lexi does, Marrick will stop being mad at her in a few days. He always has a slip of tongue though and says things that deeply offends her, but no matter what _he_ says, she'll stop being mad at him in a few days. Like I told you—an old married couple."

Remus smiled. "At least they'll be fine," he said. "Anything else on your mind?"

"Plenty."

"And they are?"

"What do you want to know them for?"

He shrugged. He was simply trying to find ways to divert her mind away from going back to thinking about her case. Tonks had informed the Ministry of Mr. Crouch's possibility of being held under an Imperius Curse and they'd put a notice up in search of Winky the house elf, but there was no response yet. They were left waiting.

"Curiosity," Remus said.

"Curiosity killed the cat," said Tonks.

"But that cat had a mighty good feeling of discovery before it died," he smirked.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You have a rebuttal for everything I say."

"I don't have a rebuttal for that."

Tonks sighed. "Let's go on then. I'm also wondering about Silvia's cold."

"She'd recovered from it she says."

"And you'd be a dimwit to believe in everything a woman says, love." Tonks shook her head. "She's hiding that she's not feeling well. Silvia was feeling nauseous all day at work. She even ran to the bathroom a couple of times, seeming like she was about to puke."

"Sirius will press her for what's wrong, trust me. He seems uncaring but he actually cares a lot," said Remus with a small smile.

"Hopefully," said Tonks. "So enough about my thoughts." She danced around him with a smile. "What are _you_ thinking about?"

He hesitated before saying, "I'm thinking about what Mr. Crouch told us."

"About his son?"

"No, about being a father," Remus replied. "It actually made me thing about…" Remus laughed nervously. "It made me think about the possibility about _me_ becoming a father."

Intrigued, Tonks stopped her dancing and smiled at him. "You being a father?"

He nodded and continued, "I mean…being a father…having that tie, that connection with someone, it sounds great actually. Mr. Crouch may be forced to do something he does not want because of that fatherly tie…but in broad terms, that tie is a connection to someone that makes you feel like you have a place in which you belong in. I…I want that someday," Remus admitted. His cheeks began to blush and before he realized it, his heart was pounding up a storm and he was completely flustered. "It's not…it's not possible though. I mean, I'm a werewolf for god's sake. If I have a child, that child might be infected by my lycanthropy and become a werewolf. I'd never be able to live with myself if I've passed this curse onto someone else."

Listening to him, Tonks found her heart reduced to pieces. She couldn't fight back a small but loving smile as she looked at him. Tonks tightened her hold on his hand as they walked and she began speaking. "You really like the feeling of belonging don't you?"

"I don't really belong anywhere…but with you."

"You belong with me, and with the Marauders," Tonks smiled.

Remus looked down and smiled wistfully. "I'd still like that feeling."

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," Tonks laughed. "That feeling, of having such a connection with someone, having that parental connection, sounds wonderful."

"I can't have it though," Remus sighed.

Tonks' gaze upon him softened. She knew what his fear was. "You're not going to pass your lycanthropy onto anyone."

"It's not definite."

"But it's not a fact that you'll pass it on either."

"There is still a possibility," he said. "I don't want to burden my innocent son with such a curse. I've been through it, every moon, and I wouldn't want anyone else to have to experience such a nightmare."

"When you become a father, I am willing to bet my soul that you won't pass it on," Tonks smiled. "You have nothing to be afraid of," she comforted. There was a brief pause and she smiled before she added, "Besides, say somehow in the impossibility that you do pass it on and your son becomes a multi-colored werewolf baby, who says he wouldn't like it? Maybe he'd love it. He'd be the coolest kid in school." She was trying to make him smile.

And she succeeded. Remus looked up at her with a small, amused smile playing across his lips. "_Multi-colored_ werewolf baby?" he asked.

Tonks blushed, her cheeks turning into a blistering shade of pink. Her heart was beating so loud that Remus could hear it as steady and clearly as the ticking clock. Flustered, Tonks was avoiding his eyes. When she stole a glance, she saw that he was smiling. Then before she had time to react, he'd taken her around the waist and sealed her quivering, nervous lips with a sound kiss. Remus kissed her deeply but briefly amongst the crowd of passerby on the streets. When he pulled apart, she could still tasted the chocolate on his lips and feel the warmth he'd breathed into her. She was reveling in her love for him and judging by the gleeful looking upon his blushing face, he felt the same way.

"One day," he said and together they grinned.


	28. Runaway Life

**Author's Note:**

Hey, sorry for the semi-late update. I'm on vacation! xD Also I'm attending Ascendio, first time, in Florida! OMG I'm so excited xD Alright, enough of my blabbing. Again, I hope you don't think I'm moving too fast. Thank you for all your support! I hope you enjoy! xD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 28 – Runaway Life<strong>

Her plans to mull over her perpetually frozen case at work had been interrupted by the small brown barn owl that came to a crash landing upon her desk, throwing papers everywhere and creating a mess inside her cubicle. The letter attached to the owl's leg had been from Remus, written in his neat and elegant handwriting that made her sloppy scrawl shy in comparison. He'd reminded her that night was Hogsmeade Weekend and because of her promise to the kids, Tonks was forced to leave her work, running out of the Ministry through the new front entrance disguised as a public restroom, her wavy blonde hair disheveled and colorfully mismatched attire ruffled as the tottering pile of papers in her arms swayed dangerously.

Several inconspicuous _pops_ of apparition later, Tonks was standing right outside the Three Broomsticks Inn on High Street in Hogsmeade, apologizing to an angry old witch who had been utterly terrified when Tonks suddenly appeared right in front of her. That was why it was rude to apparate to any place one pleases and thus complicates transportation.

"I'm so sorry," Tonks continued to apologize while slipping herself into the restaurant and away from the nagging old woman. "Bloody hell," she sighed once inside the familiar surroundings of the inn. "If I ever become like that when I'm old, please somebody hex me."

"Hello Nymphadora."

"Ah!" Tonks squealed as she fell backwards, her arms flailing in all directions as she desperately searched for something to grab onto. Surprisingly, her arms found nothing but she'd fallen back into someone's warm embrace. Gasping, Tonks slowly relaxed when she came to realize that the arms holding her were more than familiar. Seconds passed and a smile grazed itself upon her wonderful lips. "You have a way with women, don't you love?"

"Only you," he smiled as he kissed her cheek. Remus spun her around; mildly surprised by the tottering pile of papers levitating before them that shockingly hadn't fallen. "Did you bring your entire office home?" he questioned.

"Somewhat. Are you free to help me tonight?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Of course," he answered. "Let me take that for you."

Remus removed the papers from its invisible pedestal in mid-air. To her amazement, Remus simply pulled out his wand and muttered a very intricate shrinking charm upon the pile. By magic, the massive stack of papers shrunk and flattened before her very eyes. It now looked as if Remus was only holding a thin folder.

"Should have paid attention in Transfiguration," Tonks sighed.

Taking her hand, Remus shrugged and held the thin folder in front of his chest as they walked towards a crowded and particularly noisy table in the middle of the restaurant. They seemed to have been late judging by the pointed look Sirius shot them upon entry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all there, deeply engaged in a conversation about the upcoming Second Task. Alexis was sitting beside Marrick and Sirius was beside a very pale-looking Silvia. Remus and Tonks took their seat, quickly coming towards the realization that Harry was, like his father, too noble to ask for help despite how much he needed it.

"Harry, the Second Task is coming quickly. You assured Silvia and me that you've got that ruddy egg figured out weeks ago!" Sirius spoke to his godson.

"Well I've figured out how to open it," Harry grinned sheepishly in a feeble attempt to put humor into the conversation.

Sirius glared at him with a weary expression while Silvia, in a gentle and motherly voice said, "Perhaps it would be wiser to let us help you figure the clue out now."

Harry quickly abandoned his attempt at humor. "I don't want help," he sighed. "None of the other champions had help and it's just unfair for me."

Remus shifted in his chair and sat up saying, "They've no doubt got the clue figured out by now, Harry." His voice was gentle, sounding much like a kind uncle.

"It's not fair," Harry argued.

Hermione sighed beside him. "He's just too noble to accept help," she said.

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "We've been trying ourselves…or…Hermione has…."

"Lexi's department created the eggs, let her help you," Tonks suggested.

A surprised Alexis looked up from her glass of firewhiskey, her eyes wide and turning to Tonks from Marrick. She swallowed quickly and said, "Err, how much have you figured out?"

"I don't want help," Harry stressed just as Sirius said, "Lexi, haven't you been listening to what we've been arguing about for the past ten minutes?"

"Well there's really not much to figure out," Alexis said in an uncomfortable way, shooting Marrick constant looks. Watching them, Tonks knew that her cousin was communicating with Marrick without the need for words. "You see, it's really not that difficult," Alexis laughed nervously. "It's not like the message is coded or anything."

"Not coded?" Ron retorted. "Lexi, when Harry opened the egg it shrieked at us!"

"And that's the message," she smiled.

"What meaning does the pointless shrieking have?" Harry ended up asking.

"Lexi, don't tell me _you_ thought of this clue," Tonks sighed.

"No it's not me, I assure you," the raven-haired witch spoke up immediately.

"Is there any way you can hint to us what this shrieking means?" Silvia asked weakly.

"Can't you tell them a little bit about it?" Marrick asked.

"Marrick, do you know about the clue?" Remus queried.

"No I don't, sorry. She hasn't told anyone."

"Look at that," Sirius sighed. "A secret Alexis finally decides to keep."

"It's actually quite difficult to say," Alexis defended. "Um."

"Lexi, I'll figure it out myself," Harry sighed.

"No, we'll help you figure it out now," said Sirius.

Silvia shook her head and met Tonks' eyes, showing her weariness. "Sirius."

Remus too understood and held Sirius back. "Just let it go Padfoot," he sighed.

Looking around, Tonks noticed that Alexis really had trouble saying what was on her mind. When her emerald eyes shifted and fell upon Silvia, Tonks finally took in how sick her good friend looked. Before Tonks could say anything however, Silvia spoke up.

"Let's just let Harry make his own decisions," Silvia said.

"I'm his godfather," Sirius stressed.

"Sirius, please," Harry implored. "I'll figure this out on my own."

He sighed and fell back in his chair. Sirius remained quiet while Remus gave Tonks a small look before diverting the conversation and asking, "Silvia, are you feeling all right?"

She nodded and was about to speak when a frustrated Sirius suddenly grumbled, "Silv, you've been looking quite ill. Want me to take you to St. Mungo's?"

"I'm fine, really," she tried to smile.

"Let's just go," Sirius sighed and took her hand, helping her up to her feet. "At least you won't push away my help," he continued to grumble as he whisked her away. "Come on love, you've been feeling ill for days."

Waving to them, Sirius and Silvia disappeared out the door of the restaurant, bringing the heated conversation to an abrupt end. Seizing the moment, Alexis and Marrick stood up too, quickly bidding their goodnights and leaving. Before Alexis left however, she did say to Harry, "I hope you understand I'm held by powers stronger than typical ones placed upon Unspeakables to keep secrets," she tried to explain. Harry nodded. "But I guess I _can_ tell you this: The screeching has something to do with water." Before any questions can be asked, Alexis and Marrick left the table. Only Tonks and Remus remained, looking at the three confused kids.

"Something to do with water?" Harry mused aloud, taking Alexis' help to mind.

"Do you have any thoughts you want to discuss with us?" Remus asked.

Harry shook his head, messy black hair swaying side to side. "No. But um…Sirius…."

"He'll be fine," Tonks answered, sighing and rolling her eyes.

"He's very caring…to the point where he can't really help it. He cares about you, Harry. And as you can see, since you didn't want his help, his care diverted elsewhere and fell upon Silvia. He cares about her too and that was the reason why he whisked her away so quickly."

"I wonder if Silvia's alright though," said Hermione. "How long has she been sick?"

Remus' eyes fell upon Tonks who stuttered a bit in thought before she spoke. "Um-err, there's a pattern actually. At least that's what _I've_ noticed. Silv tends to get nauseous and pale in the early morning and evening. All other times, she's perfectly fine."

They withdrew in thought for a moment before being interrupted by Fred and George Weasley who'd just entered, closely followed by Ginny. The three Weasley siblings were smiling together as they came over to the table and joined them.

"Did we miss something?" Fred asked.

"Where'd everybody go?" asked George whom Remus noticed was suddenly looking quite disappointed.

"They all kind of ran away," said Tonks in short. "Sit down," she smiled.

Ginny grabbed the seat on the other side of Tonks, beaming. "Finally you've come to see us," she said. "Hermione and I wanted to talk to you. Too bad Silvia isn't here."

"Yeah, why'd they leave?" George asked while staring at the glass of firewhiskey Alexis surprisingly hadn't finished. Remus' eyes were on him, wondering why this twin looked sullen.

"Scared them off with your _spew_ talk didn't you Hermione?" asked Fred jokingly.

"Spew?" Remus and Tonks asked together.

Hermione shook her head while the other kids snickered. "It's not _spew_, it's S.P.E.W."

"What is that?" Tonks wondered just as Ginny and Ron quickly said, "Oh no."

"It's the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare," Hermione answered. "It's an organization I've founded because of the _gross_ injustice in the treatment of house-elves." Ron rolled his eyes while Harry sighed as Hermione continued. Fred, George, and Ginny simply ignored her and ordered their drinks. "I've witnessed the house-elves at the Hogwarts kitchen, specifically Dobby and Winky, and noticed that along with them, many other elves in the Wizarding world are terribly mistreated! We've got to do something!"

Remus seemed to be nodding his head, deep in thought about something. Tonks placed her cheek on her fist as she leaned across the table, trying hard to look intrigued when in reality she had no idea what the purpose of spew was. "And who's in your organization?" Tonks asked. Her further inquiries were much to the displeasure of Harry and Ron.

"Us," Harry and Ron grumbled unhappily.

"Not you three?" Tonks asked, smirking as she pointed to Ginny, Fred, and George.

Fred scoffed while George smirked. "Of course not," they answered together.

"Ginny?" Tonks teased and turned to her.

"She tried. Sorry Hermione but not even for all the licorice wands in the world."

"Heartless," Hermione huffed. "Tonks, would you and Remus like to join?"

"Err, sure," Tonks smiled, taken by surprised. "What do I have to do?"

"It's two sickles for a badge…"

"Tell you what dear," said Tonks. "I'll give you four sickles and Remus and I will pick our badges up later," she grinned.

"Wonderful!" Hermione smiled. "How about I mail it to you?"

"Alright dear," Tonks nodded. "That reminds me, Ginny, licorice wands for you," she said, handing a beaming Ginny several large packs of licorice wands.

"Yes!" the girl grinned as the others smiled and shook their heads.

"Unbelievable," Ron sighed as Tonks and Remus each handed Hermione two sickles.

"Why are you so quiet, Remus?" Harry asked after removing himself from a small discussion with Fred and George about something kept hushed.

Remus shook his head and sat up. "I was just thinking about something Hermione said," he answered. "Hermione, did you say you saw a house-elf named Winky?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, she's Mr. Crouch's house-elf. We saw her at the World Cup."

Finally realizing where Remus was going, Tonks turned to him and smiled. "Oh wow, Winky. We're in luck!" She grinned and he nodded saying, "Yes we are."

* * *

><p>Late in the evening, Remus and Tonks were walking the kids back to Hogwarts, hoping to be able to come in themselves and speak with Winky in the Hogwarts kitchen. When they got to the metal gates guarded by giant statues of winged boars on the erect wall, they were met with a surprise. As if expecting them, Albus Dumbledore stood there, the gates wide opened. Looking at him, Tonks couldn't deny that he looked rather impressive with his hands behind his back against a background of the massive Hogwarts castle and its flickering lights under the night sky.<p>

By Dumbledore's instructions, the kids went off by themselves towards the castle's front entrance. Remus and Tonks were held back for a small conversation and were soon given permission by the headmaster himself to enter the kitchen for their work. He left them be and quickly returned to the castle himself, merrily humming the tune to a familiar old folk song neither Remus nor Tonks could remember the name of. Standing alone on the familiar grounds of Hogwarts, Remus and Tonks turned to face each other, baffled.

"I've always suspected that Dumbledore knew everything that goes on in the world," said Tonks beginning to head up the slopping lawns towards the front entrance in which the doors were left open, emitting warm light upon the grounds.

"That's impossible," said Remus who sounded unbelieving of his own words. He too always thought Dumbledore had a way of knowing everything. "He'd have a massive headache."

Tonks shrugged and traipsed onwards under the moonlight with Remus. "Guess not otherwise nothing bad would ever happen," said Tonks.

"Dumbledore has his own problems to deal with," said Remus. "And maybe it was just a coincidence he met us there. Maybe he'd just seen someone off."

"Who was he seeing off?"

"I don't know," Remus sighed.

Upon entering the castle, Tonks and Remus both felt a wave of memories consume them. Looking at the grand staircase that greeted them, Remus could see the day when he and the rest of the Marauders first met. Tonks could still remember when she first spotted her cousin amongst a crowd of second-years her first time there. Smiling, the couple continued their way towards the kitchen, smirking to themselves upon their individual memories and soon sharing them.

"Sirius and I used to come here to steal food," Remus smiled wistfully. "James was much too busy annoying Lily to join us."

"You were starving pigs when you went to school? So was I!" Tonks grinned.

Laughing as they entered the kitchen, Remus and Tonks were both taken aback when unquestionable hospitality and eager servitude greeted them. The many house-elves that were there crowded up around them, offering to help or offering to bring them food without even bothering to question why they were there.

"No thank you," Remus smiled, shying away. "We're just here to ask some questions."

"Yes, have you seen a house-elf named Winky?" Tonks asked them while kindly denying a plate full of muffins, despite how much she wanted one.

"Winky?" one of the elves with bulging, tennis-ball eyes asked. "I'm sorry Professor Lupin and young miss but Winky has left."

Another small house-elf pushed his way through to them, crouching a little in shyness but smiling sweetly with bulging eyes and large ears. "Professor Lupin," he smiled. "Harry Potter speaks very kindly of you. I am Dobby, sir and miss. Dobby, the free elf," he introduced.

"Hello Dobby," Tonks smiled, shaking his hand.

"Good evening Dobby," Remus greeted as he and Tonks bent down to be level with the elves. "Do you know Winky, Dobby?"

"Dobby knows Winky, sir," the elf answered happily. "Dobby has tried helping Winky one night…when she was very drunk," he whispered to them towards the end.

"Where is she now, can you show us to her?" Tonks asked while stifling a small laugh.

"Dobby apologizes. Winky has left us to seek a place to stay elsewhere. She…she seems to not want to be by Dobby," the elf said sadly. "Winky does not like being a free elf, sir and miss. She wishes to go back to her old master but Mr. Crouch wouldn't allow her."

"Do you know where she is now, Dobby?" Remus asked politely.

"Dobby has heard Winky say something about seeking a place at her friend's family."

"And where is that, Dobby?" Tonks inquired that time.

"Dobby does not know, miss. Dobby only knows that Winky has a good friend named Loony the house-elf but she is not in this country."

"Not in this country?" Tonks mused aloud, sounding quite disappointed.

"Dobby does not know where, miss," he replied apologetically.

Tonks sighed and turned to Remus who looked defeated as well. Shaking his head, Remus pinched the bridge of his nose as he placed a hand on Tonks' shoulder. They stood up, feeling down that their efforts had been wasted. Now that Winky was out of the country, there was no possible way they could find her. Feeling defeated, Remus and Tonks left the Hogwarts kitchen after thanking Dobby for his help and the other elves for their kindness.

* * *

><p>"AUROR TONKS YOU ARE WASTING THE PRECIOUS TIME AND RESOURCES OF THE MINISTRY!" Rufus Scrimgeour's voice carried through the auror office like the deafening roar of a lion. He stood just outside Tonks' cubicle, screaming at her in his best attempt at looking calm—a failed attempt. He looked livid and raging. Keen, yellowish eyes were dripping with venom from below his tawny hair as he shifted his gaze slowly and hotly between Tonks, wide-eyed and black haired, and her cousin Alexis, awkwardly silent. "MISS BLACK I HAVE ENTRUSTED YOU WITH THIS MISSION AND YOU HAVE COME SHORT OF MY EXPECTATIONS," the lion continued to roar. "IT HAS BEEN MONTHS AND YET YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHERE BARTEMIUS CROUCH JR. IS! AUROR TONKS, I AM STARTING TO BELIEVE THAT EITHER THIS ENTIRE INVESTIGATION IS A JOKE OR YOU ARE JUST NOT CUT OUT TO BE AN AUROR! YOUR ACCUSATION OF ALASTOR MOODY WAS IMPUDENT AND NAÏVE AND FURTHER MORE, YOU HAVE NO WAY OF BACKING UP ANY OF YOUR DERANGED CLAIMS WITH SOLID PROOF! AUROR TONKS I EXPECT RESULTS SOON OTHERWISE YOU MAY BE STRIPPED OF YOUR JOB!" The old man drew a breath, pausing only briefly to remind them that he was still human and not an actual lion. "AND MISS BLACK, EXPECT A FULL INQUIRY SENT TO YOUR ADMINISTRATORS IN THE WIZENGAMOT!" There was no door to slam and so Scrimgeour simply stormed back to his office, seething with frustration.<p>

For a moment, Alexis and Tonks simply stood frozen in their spot, eyes wide and mouths slightly agape. They were rendered in a silent stupor, staring at the spot Scrimgeour had stood. Tonks' black hair made her look more like her cousin than ever before and both shared identical expressions. Minutes later, they finally spoke again, Tonks fuming with frustration similar to Scrimgeour's while Alexis was ill-at-ease leaning on Tonks' messy desk with her arms crossed.

"Bloody hell," said Tonks in a quiet voice. Her cheeks began to flush pink from utter embarrassment and she turned rigidly to Alexis with a slight crick in her neck. She drew a breath and Alexis, struck silent, anticipated Tonks' voice to erupt. "What does he expect me to do? What resources is he giving me? If Scrimgeour's not going to believe in my claim that Moody is untrustworthy then what am I supposed to do about it?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose while exerting a long sigh, Alexis placed a firm hand on Tonks' shoulder, effectively calming her down. "Hush," she whispered comfortingly. "We'll just keep working. We'll find results soon."

Tonks was frustrated. It was a shock that her black hair hadn't turned flaming red yet. "What about you then?" Tonks turned around and asked her raven-haired cousin. "It's not in your nature to stand there quietly while others criticize you."

"I've come to learn that not all ideas are good ideas; screaming back at the head of the Auror Department while frustration and rage burst from his seams does not sound like a very good idea." Alexis paced around Tonks' office, quickly skimming over the many pages of reports that lay scattered about. "Come on, let's get working. We still have the reports that Marrick and Silv are bringing up from the archives to go through."

Seething with frustration, Tonks dropped herself ungracefully down upon her office chair and slouched back into her seat. She wore an irritated expression as she began to mindlessly flip through a bulky folder of reports on suspected sightings of Crouch Jr. "Reports, reports," she grumbled. "The only resources we have access to are a bunch of dry and unreliable reports. Lexi, we might as well file this as unsolvable because there's nothing else we can do with it."

"Nonsense," Alexis replied, trying to sound optimistic. "Moony and Padfoot are at home doing extra work for us. Marrick and Silvia are bringing up more, hopefully useful information. And we've got a lead on Crouch and Moody. All we have to do is to find the proofs and details that tie this entire case together. It's not impossible."

Absentmindedly morphing her hair color and eyes from one tint to another as Alexis spoke, Tonks finally settled on ruby red hair and unnaturally blue eyes. She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes before replying, "Easy for you to say. Your job is not on the line."

"Well…." Alexis said, stretching her neck to ease the tension there.

"Don't tell me an inquiry to the Wizengamot means a possibility of you getting sacked!"

"I _am_ under jurisdiction of the Wizengamot," Alexis replied quietly.

"Oh bloody hell," Tonks groaned. "BUGGER ALL!" she yelled, kicking her metal filing cabinet against the wall. "We might as well pack our things now," she growled.

"What's got you so worked up? We'll work this out. It's just a case."

"Yes but we've reached a dead end in this case."

"What do you mean _dead end_?" Alexis probed.

"Remus and I did a little bit of work when we last went to visit the kids at Hogsmeade," Tonks began. "We found out that Winky, Mr. Crouch's house-elf had been working at the Hogwarts kitchen." Alexis' eyes brightened but Tonks shot down her excitement immediately. "Don't get too happy. We heard from Dobby, Harry's friend whom he told us about several times, that Winky has left to seek employment elsewhere. Apparently she'd gone out of the country to find her friend Loony, yet another house-elf."

Their conversation lapsed into a sudden silence that Tonks had no heart to pull herself out of. She simply stood there, wallowing in her frustration as her cousin leaned back on her chaotic desk, her eyes distant. After a while, Tonks began to feel uncomfortable. Silvia and Marrick would be returning any minute with more reports for them to look through and yet she was sitting there doing nothing but feeling terrible about herself. Tonks sighed and rested her elbows upon her knees as she looked up at her still dazed cousin. Alexis looked like a wave of reminiscence had suddenly overcome her.

"Tonksie," Alexis finally said, penetrating their uncomfortable silence. "What was the name of the house-elf you said was Winky's friend?"

"Dobby?" Tonks replied, curious as to where Alexis was going with this.

"No, the other one."

"Um, oh Loony," said Tonks. "There's no use though. Dobby said they're out of the country. They could be anywhere in the world for all we know. We might as well—"

"I know where Loony is."

"You what?" Tonks asked, shocked.

"I know where Loony is," Alexis repeated. "She's…Loony was my mum's house elf in France. She worked for our family when I was over there. We initially planned to return but after what happened when I was five…well…you know."

Tonks' jaw must have dropped an entire foot. Staring at her cousin, Tonks wondered how it was even possible that there were things about Alexis Black that she did not know. In all honesty, it had completely slipped Tonks' mind that Alexis used to live in France with her parents until they came back to visit one summer—also the tragic summer Alexis lost her parents. Sputtering for a moment, Tonks only regained her voice when she saw Marrick and Silvia approaching from down the hall.

"You know where Loony is. That means you can take us to her, right?"

"I suppose, if she's still there or…alive," Alexis said unsurely. "But she's in France…"

"Who cares? We'll go and talk to Loony. Come on Lexi, this is the only lead we've found at the moment. We have to cling onto it." Her enthusiasm as an auror was returning and Tonks' desperation to finish this case drove her need to meet this house-elf.

Alexis sighed. She looked up, seeing Marrick and a very ill-looking Silvia approaching as well. After a short moment of thought, she nodded. "Alright," she agreed reluctantly. "But, don't bring too many people," she mumbled, barely audible.

"I'll only bring Remus," said Tonks, wondering why her cousin was so guarded.

Before Tonks could question Alexis on why she didn't want Marrick, Silvia, Sirius, or anyone else to know when they were so close to her, Alexis had abandoned their conversation entirely. She shuffled into Marrick's arms as he set a bulky pile of papers and scrolls down upon Tonks' chaotic desk. Silvia set another pile of heavy scrolls down and Tonks took it as a queue to find another topic of conversation.

"Silv, are you alright?" Tonks asked, worrying about Silvia's pallid complexion. The fail woman nodded. Her colorless skin contrasted greatly with the rest of her appearance and she looked sickly as if worn by anxiety and distress. "What did the nurse at St. Mungo's say when Sirius took you?"

Shaking her head, Silvia leaned back on the wall and drew a deep breath. "Err; Sirius didn't go in with me. They had to do a checkup so since he was a bloke, he couldn't come in."

Alexis nodded but left Marrick's arm to stand closer to Silvia. "Yes, but what did the nurse say? Are you ill?" she asked with genuine concern laced within her voice.

"Not ill, no," Silvia replied but as their conversation went on, she only looked more uncomfortable and pale. Her hand often rested upon her stomach and Silvia bit her lips slightly as if there was something hard to say. She looked as if she was ready to throw up but Tonks sensed there was something else more troublesome than a nauseous feeling amidst. "Look um, Tonks, Lexi, can I have the rest of the day off?"

"Of course," said Tonks, unsure if it was in her authority but she really didn't want to bother with technicalities at the moment. "Go home and rest," she added, truly wondering what was making Silvia so ill.

Looking relatively relieved that she was able to go home, Silvia flashed them the first smile they'd seen from her that day. She quickly disappeared out of Tonks' cubicle and headed towards the lifts, vanishing within an instant. Tonks, Alexis, and Marrick stood in the small cubicle, facing each other with confused expressions.

"What's wrong with Silv?" Tonks asked Marrick with sincere confusion.

He shrugged, unknowing as well. "I don't know. She's been looking ill all morning."

"I think I know," Alexis said. Her words were followed by a quick shiver.

Tonks took her arm. "What?"

"Um…it's kind of awkward to say," she replied and busied herself with a pile of old reports Tonks left on the table. "Let's get to work," she tried to smile at Tonks' indignant groan.

* * *

><p>The evening was coming slower than it used to as the February weather settled over London. Sunset had just arrived and sitting beside a small, dusty window in The Leaky Cauldron, the sunset seemed somehow impressive. Perhaps it was the strangely serene and peaceful feeling of broken sunlight penetrating a thin layer of dust to settle upon the old wooden table, casting shadows upon the cutlery. Or perhaps another reason was that no matter how simple and common, everyday things just seemed so much better in presence loving company.<p>

Sirius was seated across from Silvia, his feet touching hers under the table as they smiled to each other and continued with their dinner. Like the several days before, Silvia had felt ill and nauseous only to return to her normal, heart aura again once the phase was over. Sirius wondered what the results of her checkup had been—she'd left St. Mungo's hospital in a dazed stupor. He'd tried questioning her but she gave him no answer, not even the hint of one. Rendered with nothing left to do, Sirius simply continued life with her as normal, bracing himself for anything and everything. He wondered if Silvia had somehow contracted an illness or something similar—there had been news about a severe case of magically induced pneumonia spreading like rapid fire amongst witches and wizards.

With his mind lingering upon the possible illness Silvia might be having, he continued pondering as he ate. _Perhaps she'd contracted Scrofulosis,_ Sirius mused. He suddenly sat back in his chair and chuckled quietly at the absurd possibility. _People with Scrofulosis usually feel nauseous and look pale and eventually die from what seems like a high fever,_ he continued to think, recalling everything he'd learned from the healing class at Hogwarts in his sixth year. _That's ridiculous though. The only way of getting Scrofulosis is…_he suddenly shivered and shook his head. _I am in no way responsible_. Sirius let out a small chuckle.

"What's on your mind?" Silvia queried absentmindedly from across the table.

Sirius looked up, mildly surprised having been in his own head for a fair amount of time. "Nothing," he replied. "Actually, I was just thinking about why you've been feeling so dismal lately," he answered earnestly.

Appearing reserved, Silvia shook her head and her hands gently slipped off the table and down to her lap. She bit her lips for a moment, seeming as if she had something hard to say. Sirius watched her and reached across the table to take her hand from her lap and hold it tenderly. He sat there silent, waiting for when she was ready to speak. Much to his surprise, when she spoke, Silvia's words had no relevance to their previous conversation.

"Sirius, out of curiosity, what do you think about family?" Silvia questioned.

He carefully spent a short moment to think before answering, "To be honest, I completely abhor the majority of my family. A select few…continues to frustrate me. And an even small few people are the ones I actually like, as you know, Lexi, Tonks, Andromeda, and such."

Silvia nodded. "What do you consider Remus, or Harry, or…me?"

For some strange reason, a small smile danced across Sirius' chiseled face, enhancing the darkly handsome factors of his strong jaw, deep set, piercing grey eyes. His dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance Silvia had always secretly loved ever since they met in school. Sirius looked younger than he had when he first got out of that tormenting prison and the crooked smile on his face brought him to perfectly match the elegant and darkly beautiful Latin woman sitting across from him, her dark eyes glimmering under the lights and her luscious brown hair falling in natural waves.

"Harry is my godson," Sirius smiled. "Remus is my brother. And you are my girlfriend, my lover, my family." His smile turned into a grin.

Contrary to Sirius' gleeful state of mind, Silvia's was more conflicted. She held a reserved smile and looked down at her half empty glass of butterbeer on the table. In a shy reserve, she bit her lips before speaking. "Have you ever thought of a family of your own?"

An expression of stupendous bemusement fell upon Sirius' face. He looked at her with one eyebrow raised and his mouth slightly agape. "Now why would I do that? Most of the time, family only ties you down," he smiled.

Her small smile, the little that she had on, fell. "You think family holds you down?"

"Well yes," Sirius replied, completely unaware of her opposing feelings. "I mean look at Ted, Andromeda and Tonks are preventing him from going off on his own and having any fun."

"But they're happy together, Sirius," said Silvia.

"Ah, Ted may be able to live with it but I'm no family man, love," he answered casually.

"So you're saying that one day you may just go off on your own and leave me?"

Sirius suddenly became harshly aware. His casualness dropped instantly. "No," he answered. "I'd take you with me. I'm just saying that you know, if we have any more people, it'd be difficult to live a _free_ life," he continued. "I mean people always say: three's a crowd."

"Three's a crowd," Silvia repeated.

"Is something weighing you down? Let it out."

For a while, they'd lapsed into a dense silence. Silvia gently pulled her hand out of Sirius' grasp while drawing a deep breath, her eyes fixated upon a spot on the table. Sirius' expression of bemusement shifted over to utter confusion with a mix of worry. He leaned forward, apprehensive and concerned.

"Where are you going at?" he questioned her stiffly.

Silvia shrugged; her eyes distant. "The number three symbolizes balance…."

"There will be no _three_, Silvia," said Sirius in a stern voice he rarely used.

Her eyes finally met his. "Sirius, there will be three," she said firmly.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, frustrated now.

"Sirius, we may have had an accident sometime over the past several months…."

Her hand shifted down to her stomach and Sirius' eyes followed hers down. He stared, his mouth falling open in disbelief. It felt as if Sirius' worst nightmare had lapsed from fantasy into reality. Inevitably, they'd fallen into a three-people world. He continued to stare at her stomach, feelings of fear, confusion, curiosity, and minor excitement boiled within him. His stomach was turning like a maelstrom, his heart beating like a thunderstorm, and his mind was racing faster than a Firebolt. An accident had occurred and now he must live with his mistake….

"Sirius…" her words came out as sort of a plea. Her beautiful Spanish accent laced her words with an exotic taste that only served to unhinge him even more. She looked at him, meeting his eyes with glossy, teary and confused ones of her own, dark chocolate brown in color. She looked confused and scared, in a way much like him but in a way not. "I am with child."

Sirius stared.

* * *

><p>It was strange for him to realize that he'd made a place for himself upon the puffy leather armchair sitting beside the warm but relatively small fireplace in Alexis' living room. Remus spent a short moment to watch the dancing flames cast moving shadows upon the wall, playing for him a sort of unexplainable film. He then returned to his reading, having promised Nymphadora that he would help her read up information and help her with her unbelievably difficult and slow-moving case. His eyes skimmed the pages, lit up by the dim glow of the small fire in the room. Remus raised an eyebrow, all of a sudden wondering why he was making things so difficult for himself.<p>

Taking out his wand from his coat pocket, Remus placed the tip of the long wooden stick upon the tan parchment of the reports, and muttered a very long incantation under his breath. He was trying out something new, something he'd admittedly learned within a book, yet another reading material. A smile lit up his face along with the bluish glow that emitted from the book pages. Remus had managed to charm the words to glow, making it easier for him to read and undeniably more amusing. His smile turned into a grin as the glowing blue light from the book lit up his face, mixing strangely well with the dancing orange firelight that spilled over the room. He was, most definitely, a bookworm.

A soft knock sounded on the burgundy red door. Remus looked up from his reading and waited for a moment before standing up. Another knock sounded—this one even softer and more broken than the one before. Remus raised an eyebrow as he glanced towards the clock. If the person on the other side was Nymphadora or Alexis, they would have been coming home a half an hour too early. _It may just be Sirius_, he thought as he turned the golden knob, clicking open the lock and pulling open the door. Silvia stood in the doorway, her eyes red and puffy, face paling significantly. She looked like she'd been crying.

"Silvia," he said, somewhat surprised. "Come in, what's wrong?"

She was silent. Silvia walked in, shaking her head and biting her lips as she passed him. Worried, Remus pulled up a chair for her at the dining table and she sat down. He took the seat across from her, sitting there in equal silence while looking at her with a concerned expression. Many thoughts were running through his mind. He wondered if she may have had a fight with Sirius, or something worse may have happened. For a while, Remus sat there in silence.

The thick, foggy silence was broken when Silvia sniffed. More tears, quiet and tormenting tears fell from her eyes. Remus had never been in such a situation before and stumbled as he pulled out several tissues for her. He still did not speak, unsure of what he should say. Silvia wiped away her bitter tears with the tissue and continued to sit there for a while.

Finally, when Remus could take the silence no longer, he asked her in a concerned voice, "You can talk to me if you'd like."

Moments past and finally Silvia spoke in a broken voice, "I don't know what to do." She looked up at him as if searching for an answer. "Remus, I really don't know what to do."

He shifted closer to her, listening aptly. "What happened?"

She sniffed again. "It was a mistake," she said with no preamble. "We never intended for it to happen. I know that if I made this mistake, I wouldn't be able to keep him but what am I supposed to do about it?" Silvia sounded conflicted.

For a bleak moment, Remus wondered why people often spoke in riddles when they were upset. He'd quickly concluded it was the interworking of the mind. "Slow down, Silv," he spoke gently. "What mistake? What happened exactly?"

She paused again before saying, "I'm pregnant with Sirius' baby."

Silence.

"You're pregnant?" His voice was laced by disbelief as he shifted to the edge of his chair.

Reluctantly, Silvia nodded as she moved a hand over to her stomach. "I found out when the healer gave me a checkup at St. Mungo's. I tried telling Sirius just now and…"

"What did he do?"

A sigh escaped her breath. It was a very heavy and burdened sigh. "He positively fled."

Seconds lapsed onto minutes and minutes dragged on. Remus continued to sit there, comforting Silvia with reassuring words as he tried to analyze why Sirius may have acted the way he did. They'd always known that Sirius had loved freedom but fleeing when Silvia broke news of her pregnancy to him was something Remus never knew about his friend. Sirius was already a godfather. What difference does being a real father make?

"Remus, please don't tell him I confided in you," Silvia pleaded after she finished drying up her tears. "Please don't tell anyone." She placed a hand over his imploringly.

"I won't," he said and patted her hand reassuringly. "Not without your permission."

She nodded and managed a weak and bitter smile—it came out as more of a grimace.

"Does anyone else know? Like Nymphadora or Lexi?"

She shook her head. "They were still at work. I didn't want to run in crying."

He nodded and placed a comforting hand upon her shoulder. "What do you plan to do?"

"I don't know, Remus, I really don't know," she sighed, her voice still watery. "I had so much on my mind already. I need time to think."

Again, Remus nodded. Looking at Silvia, he felt intense empathy pass him through. She looked so broken and miserable and yet in that dismal, gloomy state of despair, Remus could somewhat relate to her. He too knew the feeling of pain, confusion, and the feeling of being forgotten. He sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and looked up at her again. Her tears had dried up but he knew that inside she was still weeping. Silvia was strong but on the inside she was still only human. Looking at her, Remus felt a feeling of dread and hatred for the world. Silvia shouldn't feel despair or chagrin. It just wasn't fair.

"Let me get the door," he said softly when he heard the clicking of keys and low mumbling of frustration outside. Remus stood up and in several quick strides came to the door. He opened it, having forgotten to lock it again earlier, and came face to face with a frustrated Nymphadora Tonks—her black hair reminded him an awful lot of her deranged aunt whom he'd encountered once before, Bellatrix. "Nymphadora, hello," he smiled rigidly.

"Wotcher Remus," she sighed and walked in, Alexis quickly following behind. Tonks placed a brief kiss upon Remus' cheek and entered the living room, stopping abruptly before the sight of a disheveled and broken Silvia White. "Silv…."

"Silv…" Alexis began but bit her lips and found nothing else to say.

"What happened?" Tonks questioned.

With one last sniff, Silvia stood up and shook her head. She spoke in a hoarse voice saying, "I'm alright, just feeling ill, that's all." She tried to smile but again only grimaced.

Alexis leaned back on the extended bar of her kitchen area, her eyes fixated upon her teary and silently weeping friend. She crossed her arms in an ill-at-ease manner as she watched—she'd always been a spectator no matter how heartbreaking it was. There were no words she could find to say and so kept quiet, hoping things would unravel itself soon. The gaze she met Silvia's eyes with spoke volumes and immediately Silvia could tell that in Alexis' silence there was an abundance of care and concern. She nodded and again tried to smile.

Tonks, who was less subtle, turned to Remus for an explanation. "Remus, do you know anything about this?" she asked.

He'd always been able to lie—for most of his life Remus had been able to lie about feeling happy and content with his life when in reality he more often than not viewed it as a living hell. But yet, Remus found himself unable to lie to Tonks no matter what. He shook his head and his eyes met hers, making whatever excuse he'd planned to say unconvincing. "I don't know," he answered quickly.

As expected, she'd seen right through him. Tonks took a step forward and Remus took a step back. "Remus, why is Silv crying?" Tonks asked. If Silvia wouldn't tell her, surely Remus would know and he would tell her, she hoped.

Remus gave her a feeble shrug, his blue eyes lying. "I don't know," he said again.

She took two swift steps forward and he took two rapid steps back, his hands slightly in front of him, held up between her and him. "Remus John Lupin you tell me what is wrong right now!" Tonks demanded, storming towards him and Remus made the same effort to back away.

"I don't know!"

"Remus, it's alright," Silvia sighed. Both Remus and Tonks, standing mere inches apart from each other, turned to face her. Silvia was in her seat at the dinner table, now with a glass of brandy in her hands. Alexis held another glass, raising it up to her lips and drinking it slowly as her eyes remained focused on the conversation at hand. "Remus, just tell them," said Silvia. "They'll know eventually anyways."

Unnaturally blue eyes morphed back to sweet, clairvoyant emerald green and turned to face his gentle sapphire blue. Remus looked at Tonks for a moment, reassembling his collected demeanor as he chose his words carefully and finally came to answer Tonks and Lexi's pending question. He drew a breath, wondering what words to say.

"Remus," Tonks groaned.

He sighed; then looked to Silvia, Lexi, and back to Tonks. "Silvia told Sirius and he was scared or something and positively fled from her and—"

"Hang on, told Sirius what?" Tonks asked, turning to Silvia who was staring at her untouched drink. Tonks then turned to Alexis who had poured herself another glass and was in the middle of drinking it. When Tonks' attention returned to Remus, she placed a hand on Remus' arm and urged him to continue. "Love, what did she tell him?"

"Silvia's pregnant with Sirius' child."

Alexis extravagantly spat out her drink, sputtering and coughing as she attempted to speak words in which no one understood. Tonks was rooted in her spot, surprised. She didn't know whether to be happy or worried, seeing that Silvia and her cousin Sirius was expecting a child but yet Silvia was sitting before them, crying. Remus ran into the kitchen and took out a small hand towel for Alexis to clean herself with.

Several seconds later after Alexis recovered from her coughing fit she finally managed to say in a hoarse and watery voice, "Pregnant? Well that wasn't what I expected at all!" She heaved another breath and coughed several more times before coming to a finish.

"I thought you knew," said Tonks, coming over and taking a seat beside Silvia.

Alexis shook her head. "No, I thought it was something else."

"What'd you think it was?" Tonks wondered.

"Err, yeah, never mind," her cousin replied quickly before sliding to the floor in front of Silvia, her comforting eyes and mellow, reassuring side surfacing.

For the large part of the night, Remus, Tonks, and Alexis spent the time comforting Silvia and trying to contact Sirius. Both of their tasks came to no success and only ended when Silvia grew too tired to sit and weep any longer. Alexis had kindly given up her bed to her weary friend to sleep over while pretending that she preferred the sofa. Tonks and Remus, after whispering their last words of empty comfort to Silvia, found their way to the rooftop of the building, struck in a spell of silence.

"I've never been here before," said Remus as he followed her into the darkness. When they entered the room, everything seemed below them and it was only them and the star-strewn sky. There was a magnificent feeling of comfort and adrenaline up there.

"Neither have I," confessed Tonks. "But I see Lexi escape up here so often, I thought I'd give it a go," she smiled humorlessly.

"Lexi hides up here?"

Tonks chuckled softly. "Yes Remus. I pay attention to my cousin. She hides up here whenever she's upset or troubled by something. I guess I'm stealing her spot tonight."

Remus nodded and continued to follow her over to the edge of the rooftop where they could see the rest of London from there. It was a beautiful city and one would have to be incredibly morose to argue. He drew a deep breath, inhaling her sweet, alluring scent of lavender and chamomile as he did so. Remus closed his eyes for a moment and enjoyed the short silence before he voiced his question, "What is troubling or upsetting you?"

Her short response was worrying. "Silvia," she said.

"Care to elaborate?" he asked her gently, looking down to the colorful streets below.

"Well, Silvia and Sirius…what do we do about them?"

"We'll find a way," said Remus in comfort. "But, I'm not sure there's anything we _can_ do. This problem is strictly between Silvia and Sirius."

She sighed and nodded. "We're only spectators, aren't we?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he answered.

"It's so hard being a spectator. You feel so useless," Tonks confessed. "Lexi's the true definition of a spectator, did you know?"

He nodded. "I've figured that out, love."

Tonks sighed and rocked back and forth on her feet, looking out towards the city. "Just watching alone is already troubling enough. I would hex myself if I have to go through with it," she told him in a way that signified more than one meaning.

"What is troubling you?" he asked, able to read her easily.

There was a moment's hesitation before she spoke again. "You know our thoughts can be very annoying. Sometimes we don't want to think about something—it has no relevance. But yet, we end up wasting so much time thinking, wondering, and worrying about it."

Remus took a step closer to her but he said nothing. His ardent eyes spoke enough.

"I was just wondering why it's so difficult to have a family," she confessed quietly.

Remus immediately understood her hesitance in telling him. Like Sirius, he'd never really consider himself a family man, but for a different reason. He so longingly wants to be one, but he just couldn't allow himself to risk hurting his infant children and his wife. A werewolf was not made to be a part of a family.

"Look at Silvia," Tonks continued. "She'd waited so long for a chance to settle down and have a family. Now look at what happened. Sirius practically ran away from her. I mean, what's so wrong about starting a family? At least you'll have a place where you feel like you belong and you have people who care about you and love you." Tonks too was tormented by her own hidden feeling of chagrin.

"Maybe," he began weakly. "Maybe some of us feel that we just aren't fit for a family."

She turned to him. "Don't tell me _you're_ thinking that."

He didn't speak; he couldn't—his mouth felt like it was sewn shut.

"Remus, starting a family is an inevitable part of life," Tonks sighed. "Having children, living together, why can't you Marauders just accept that?" She was growing frustrated now. Her previous feelings about Remus' fear of having children were resurfacing.

"James accepted it," said Remus wistfully. "He and Lily had Harry. Nymphadora, I cannot vouch for Sirius but if we're speaking about me personally, then there is no way I can…."

For a long time, she simply stood there and stared at him. Tonks did not move nor say anything. She simply stood there, regaining control over herself, her emotions, and her thoughts. After a while, she finally heaved a sigh and looked down to her feet. She took his hand gently and weaved her fingers in with his, fitting so perfectly.

"Forget it," she said glumly.

"I'm sorry, love," he spoke.

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. We'll be alright not talking about it," she said. "Now we have more pressing matters to worry about."

Remus knew she was trying to find topics to pull their thoughts elsewhere and clung onto the queue with both hands. "The February full moon is coming up soon."

"And you better let me take care of you, if not during the night then in the morning."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Are you going to thank me for every moon?"

"Yes."

Tonks shook her head and rolled her eyes. She'd soon managed a small although humorless smile—it was still a smile nonetheless. "We may also need to take a trip out of the country soon. I mean to tell you this earlier."

"A trip out of the country?" Remus questioned.

"Yeah," she answered. "Remember when we spoke to Dobby in the Hogwarts kitchen and he told us that Winky went to find her friend Loony, another house-elf for a place to stay?" Remus nodded. "Well at first we thought it was a dead end because Loony was out of the country, but it turns out that we live in a very small world."

"How so?"

"Loony is the name of Lexi's old house-elf, employed by her mother in France."

"So I'm guessing we're going to France?"

"Yeah, you guessed right," Tonks nodded, blankly looking out at the vast cityscape shrouded in darkness from the star-strewn black night sky. "We're going to France," she mindlessly mumbled in a gentle voice that he heard.

"To France," Remus agreed, weaving his arms around her waist from behind and holding her. He placed his head on her shoulder and inhaled her madly intoxicating scent.

He wanted so badly to kiss her and feel the addictive feeling of her sweet lips against his but he couldn't bring himself to ask for a kiss that night. Remus inhaled again and sighed discreetly. He could only tighten his embrace upon her. An inevitable thought always lingered in the back of his mind. Remus knew that to be with Tonks would mean that eventually he'd have to succumb to life's advancements. Starting a family, getting married, and having children were all a part of it. He just wasn't sure if he was really suitable for that, being a werewolf and all. Holding her tightly, he sighed again. He wants to be with her for a lifetime and more—forever if he could. He wanted so badly to kiss her deeply and passionately…but he was caught in a rut.


	29. The Thing About Memories

**Author's Note:**

Hello! Sorry for the one-day late update, I blame it on vacation haha. I hope everyone's having a wonderful vacation so far! xD Though I'm kind of disappointed it's already July, soon it'll be August and then bye-bye summer :( Anyways, sorry for rambling, now for this chapter, the focus, you can say, is kind of on Alexis. I hope you don't mind :) Thank you for your constant support, everyone. I hope you enjoy xD

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><p><strong>Chapter 29 – The Thing About Memories<strong>

It'd been a while since she'd set foot in King's Cross Station again—the last time she remembered was to send the kids off to school. Her fingers were intertwined with Remus as they walked down the busy railway terminus. Wearing their muggle best, Tonks felt ridiculously uncomfortable in a simple solid blue collar shirt and white jeans—she looked too plain, especially with natural dirty blonde hair in bouncy curls. Remus on the other hand, looked rather charming in a dark brown suit with blue pinstripes.

"Lexi, which platform are we looking for?" Remus asked as they followed behind Alexis.

"7 ¾," Alexis, casual but elegant in a white blouse and black with white pinstripes suit Tonks often saw her wear at work. The raven-haired pureblood had always been strangely more comfortable in muggle attire than Tonks was. "We're going through the barrier and taking the International Floo Network over to a terminal in Lyon, France," she further explained.

Tonks could remember when her parents would take her places out of the country when she was little. It was either platforms 8 ¾, 6 ½, or one of the many other magical platforms hidden within the walls of King's Cross. From then they'd take the IFN or a train, a boat, whichever means of transportation they wanted. It was a beautiful and busy childhood she had.

"Here we are," said Remus as they arrived at the brick wall between platforms seven and eight. "Lexi, you go first?"

Her suddenly taciturn cousin nodded and without another word, Alexis leaned back on the red brick wall, her hands holding a small something as her eyes searched the crowd for on-looking muggles. Tonks raised an eyebrow at the small something in her cousin's hands—it looked like a ball of navy blue yarn. Before she could ask, Alexis had casually fallen into the other side of the barrier.

For a brief moment, Remus and Tonks were now alone standing between platforms seven and eight. There was a similar sensation as when Tonks and Remus were standing between platforms nine and ten several months back, sending Harry and his friends off to school. Her twinkling green eyes glanced up towards the massive ceiling rigged with metal bars and discreetly present lights, signs of a brilliant architectural design.

"What did Lexi have in her hands?" Tonks asked Remus suddenly.

Remus shrugged as he and Tonks leaned back on the hard wall, their eyes alert and watching. "I don't know," he answered. "You should ask her when we cross through."

Tonks nodded and in the next moment, Remus had crossed the wall and pulled her along with him. Going through the barrier, Tonks felt as if she'd walked right through a thin wall of floating water. Luckily she didn't get wet.

They were now standing in a cool, sunlit platform bearing several rows of golden gilded chimneys much like the Atrium at the Ministry. The entire platform had a different atmosphere to it than the Atrium did however. It didn't feel busy and crowded although there were many people there. Instead, it had an airy lightness to it created by the three walls of windows with brilliant sunlight gleaming through freely. Tonks felt tranquil, more than she ever had before.

"Amazingly beautiful weather for a late February day, is it not?" Remus asked her as he gently led her towards where Alexis stood in a long line of travelers bearing bags and cloaks.

"Remus, it was raining outside," said Tonks dryly.

He smiled. "The windows are charmed," he said as Tonks mouthed a silent "O."

Tonks came to stand beside her cousin. Once she finished admiring the open, glistening sunlight that flooded Platform 7 ¾, she returned her attention to her quiet and thoughtful cousin whom by the look in her eyes, seemed to be dreading the return to her childhood home before the age of five. Alexis was biting her lips, her eyes looking up at the massive black notice board hanging from the ceiling where the barrier was. The letters in white were moving, displaying times of departure to certain areas of France, Spain, and Germany. In her hands, Tonks and now Remus both noticed that Alexis was holding what looked like a navy blue hand-knit hat.

"Lexi, what's the hat for?" Tonks asked.

Looking surprised, Alexis managed a wry smile and looked down at her hands. "Oh um, for my old house elf there," she answered. "I got it from Hermione after accidentally joining her _spew_ organization."

"You got pulled in too?" she asked, putting on a smile and hoping to ease Alexis' mind.

"It's called the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare," Remus corrected with a kind, teasing smile. "Not _spew_."

Tonks stuck her tongue out at him. "You're such a dork," she said jokingly.

Remus laughed softly. Alexis' wry smile widened only slightly. She then shoved the hat into a pocket of her black blazer before saying, "Excuse me, I'm going to go buy a drink before we go. We still have a long way to go. Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm good, thank you," Remus answered as Tonks shook her head.

After Alexis left, Tonks turned back to Remus with an expression of curiosity and confusion played across her face. "I'd think Lexi would be happy coming back to her old childhood home," she said.

Remus shrugged. "I've not known Lexi for as long as you have, but I am quite sure that it is completely the opposite of what you think, love," he said gently.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Returning to a place of our childhood brings back beautiful, happy memories," he began. "To many, those happy memories make them smile. But to Lexi, those happy memories may only be the reminder of what she had with her parents…who are now gone. I don't think she can smile much because of that."

Tonks nodded, comprehension dawning. "Strange," she said, sweeping a strand of curly dirty blonde hair out of her eyes. "You seem to know more about Lexi's childhood than I do."

"Sirius talks about the past a lot. He knew a lot about Lexi even before age five."

She nodded again, contemplative now. "So that's why you blokes talk about all the time."

"We talk about you too," Remus grinned. "I recall Sirius telling me about a certain rainbow-haired girl attempting to cover her neighbor's house in pudding as a form of revenge."

Her eyes narrowed. "Oh bugger all, he told you about that?"

Remus nodded too many times. "Chocolate pudding I reckon?"

Tonks grumbled, "Jeremy Finkle deserved it. He made fun of my hair and he loves pudding anyways so I wasn't doing anything bad."

"That's no reason to cover someone's house in chocolate pudding, my love."

Feeling embarrassed, Tonks rolled her eyes and squirmed in Remus' warm embrace. "Don't ever talk about it," she said. "Come now, we must focus. I want to bring an end to this case before I die from Scrimgeour's yelling."

Remus smiled and nodded, coming back to focus his mind on thoughts about the case involving Crouch, Moody, and a house-elf named Winky. "I have a feeling Winky the house-elf may be the key to solving your case."

"I hope so."

* * *

><p>The weather was completely miserable and as he walked down the street, flipping up his blazer collar against the frosty air, Sirius wondered why he was even outside in the first place. The wind was blistering and sweeping through the dismally grey city at a terribly fast rate. Thick, heavy rain poured down from the dreary grey clouds, pounding the streets of London in a vengeful beat. A crack of thunder was heard overhead, ripping through the eerie silence that had been drifting around just seconds before. The rain pelted London harder, making it hard to see. They were like blinded men caught in a pointless game as they tried to find their way to shelter. No glimpse of sunlight could penetrate the deep, dismal grey.<p>

"Bloody rain," Sirius grumbled as he rushed down the street, his shiny shoes splattering rain with every step he took. "Stupid Gulliver should have told me he's closed today," he continued to grumble angrily.

Sirius' mildly dazed manager had decided to close the entire café down for an entire week, his reason being that he wanted to spend more time with his beloved family—his wife had just given birth. Sirius, angry and reproachful, continued to tread through the rain while grumbling about family and wondering why family was so important. He simply did not understand. He wondered, aren't there other things in life more important than family?

"Family, family, family," he muttered in a low, growling voice. "Everyone cares about family. My bloody mess of a family consists of incest and pureblood obsessed parasites. My mother's a bloody spiteful witch. Why should I care about family?"

For a bleak moment, Sirius wondered why he was so bitter. He blamed it on the rain.

"Silvia," he mindlessly called out when he saw her face through the pouring rain.

She'd just gotten out of a ruby red telephone box, like she did every day. The only difference was that for the past week or so, Silvia hadn't once come to see Sirius. She didn't use the usual telephone box in front of where he worked. Now he found out that she'd been using this nearly identical one several blocks away. Looking at her, he felt a feeling of longing and temptations take him over. A voice inside his head was screaming at him to run after her.

He did not move. Sirius simply stood there, halting in his step as he watched her from the other side of the street. Silvia walked out of the telephone box, her face contorted into that of a grimace. She had a massive, soggy and tottering pile of papers in her arms topped with several scrolls. Her dark brown hair, curly that day, was pelted flat and heavy by the vengeful rain. She didn't look as pale as when he'd last seen her but the expression on her face still conveyed that she'd been having a dismal day.

When Silvia suddenly slipped and fell, Sirius jumped but he did not run towards her. He simply stood and watched. She slipped on the puddle of rain. When she fell to the ground, her grimace had shifted into a look of weariness. The rain falling from the sky looked like tears in her eyes. Suddenly, Sirius squirmed indecisively in his stance. Before his mind could come to a complete decision, he was already running across the street towards her, dodging several cars and an extremely portly man. In the next moment, he was beside her, his arm under hers and helping her up. She looked up at him, surprise in her eyes. The rain looked more like tears up close than it ever did before. Without speaking, Sirius bent down and hurriedly gathered up her massive pile of drenched, clumpy papers. He was mildly shocked to find out a shrinking charm was already placed upon them. _What sort of work were aurors subjected to at the Ministry?_

"Why are you here?" Silvia asked bitterly.

Sirius held the pile of papers in one hand while feebly covering her from the rain with his other. "I was taking a walk," he replied and led her back inside the scarlet red telephone box.

"In the rain?" she asked, crammed up inside the telephone box with him.

"I was walking home," he explained as he placed the papers down on the ground.

She nodded and leaned back on the other side of the box they were in. Sirius watched her, biting his lips as he wondered if he should say anything. Unexpectedly, his eyes drifted down to her abdomen where her right hand rested. She wasn't showing yet—they still had a long time to go until she started showing. His eyes shifted back up to meet hers. Silvia was blankly staring out at the raindrops that clung onto the glass of the scarlet telephone box. She wasn't saying anything but there was a twinge of pink on both her cheeks.

"How-how are you?" Sirius asked awkwardly. Funny how the times have changed, he thought. He'd never been awkward or even remotely shy with women before.

"Fine," she lied. Silvia looked far from fine.

Plunged into another wave of silence, Sirius began to rock back and forth on his feet while wondering what else he should say to her. "Err, so…how was your day?"

She let out a heavy sigh. "Dismal," she answered.

"Reckon so. The rain's been coming down since dawn."

"Yeah."

"Um, so why aren't you heading to France investigating with Lexi, Remus, and Tonks?"

"The nurses at St. Mungo's said I'm not supposed to use the IFN…too um-too shifty you know?" she answered awkwardly. Sirius nodded, rocking faster back and forth. "Scrimgeour's pulled me off of the more daunting missions and now I'm doing mostly light paperwork. Honestly, they're a tad overreacting…."

"This is light?" Sirius asked, patting the waist-high pile of papers and scrolls.

"I just have to sign a bunch of them and read through a few."

"And they haven't thought of getting someone to help you carry it?"

"Honestly Sirius, I'm pregnant, not crippled," she snapped shortly.

"Right…so…about the baby…err, boy or girl?"

"I'm not far enough to know," she replied, avoiding his eyes.

"You're keeping it?" he asked, his tone not something he expected to sound.

Her glare met his eyes and for a moment, Silvia said nothing. She drew a heavy breath and nodded, seeming very annoyed at him. The way she looked at him was full of disappointment and reproach. She made his stomach churn violently on the inside. "Yes, Sirius," she hissed. "Of course I'm keeping my child!"

"I'm sorry!" he said quickly. "I just-well, I didn't know whether you'd keep it or not…because well, you know, it was kind of a mistake."

Silvia's glare sharpened and Sirius felt his heart drop down to meet his stomach, creating a furious maelstrom within his body. "Just because I made a mistake, Sirius, does not mean that I am going to _RUN AWAY_ from it! Unlike you, I am going to live with my mistake even if it kills me!" She was angry and nearly hyperventilating from her rage.

"Alright, alright! You don't have to get so angry!"

"This is ridiculous," she huffed.

"So err-what are you plans for the-for the baby?"

"I don't know," she groaned. "Sirius, why are you asking me so many questions?"

He shrugged.

They lapsed into silence again. Sirius' eyes turned to stare out at the falling rain. Strangely, the sunlight was finally penetrating the murky grey clouds, cascading rays of golden light down upon the wet and shiny streets. Inside the telephone booth, the hot air escaping their nervous breaths was fogging up the glass. Sirius' eyes flickered over to Silvia who was now staring blankly at her feet while wringing her hands. His heart pounded harsh, threatening to crack open his chest with its constant drumming. Sirius suddenly felt extremely hot and the lustful temptations within him are bursting out the seams of his clothes. He was so close to her but yet he felt fearful to diminish the final distance. Why was that? _Responsibility, fear of familial _ties—Sirius wondered.

Before he could stop himself, Sirius' throbbing heart wound up acting on its own accord. He stood up and pulled her into him, taking Silvia completely by surprise. He was too fast and before Silvia could voice her protest to whatever he was trying to do, he'd sealed her moist and rogue lips with his own. She froze at first contact but quickly her barriers fell down. He kissed her deeply, satisfying the lustful temptations and perpetually confusing desires that urged him on. His lips guided hers but she suddenly did her own thing with him. Sirius felt like he could melt. Despite the icy wind outside in the late February rain, Sirius felt hot inside the small, scarlet red telephone box. He was drowning in strange, ardent, emotions.

Several eternities fleeted by in the time span of several minutes. They pulled apart reluctantly, gasping for breath. Silvia looked at him and he met her dilating eyes with piercing grey ones. He hoped she wouldn't question why he did that because he himself did not know.

She hesitated for a moment before weakly asking, "Do you care about me, Sirius?"

He nodded firmly. "Very much."

"Then why must you be like this?"

His eyes slipped down to her midriff. "I just…I can't deal with a family."

"You have one of your own."

"Not this kind of family," he replied, gesturing to her stomach and stroking it lightly.

In silence, Silvia rolled her eyes before reaching for the door of the telephone box. "The rain's softened, I'm going to go."

Sirius placed a hand over hers. "Let me walk you," he said. "Where are you going?"

A conflicted look breezed through her eyes. She was wondering whether or not she should allow him to constantly tread close to her heart. It would only hurt more if she let him, but Silvia paused. She remembered when he was gone, completely gone from her life for over a decade. It hurt worse when he left like that, and she couldn't bear to let him go again. Silvia sighed. She'd been sighing so often. Falling prey to her lovesick heart, Silvia nodded.

"I'm heading home," she said quietly.

The door to the telephone box opened and Sirius helped her out into the sunlight. Rain was still falling but the vengeful, hell-bent nature of it was gone. It now drizzled lightly over their heads like a gently spraying mist. Glorious sunlight cascaded through thickly grey clouds, creating an odd mixture between drear and brilliance.

Sirius stepped out behind Silvia, holding her pile of papers and scrolls in both hands but touching her arm as he stood. He was hoping to avoid the matter of responsibility and the mistake they made entirely that day. Fortunately, Silvia seemed overcome with the longing to be near him that she'd agreed to let it go momentarily. Under the slowly dying rain and glorious sunlight, they walked. There was something impressive about the ambiance. Two people, conflicted and in love, walking together under misty rain and radiant sunlight penetrating the grey of late February.

"Let me walk you home," he said.

* * *

><p>Tonks had nearly forgotten why she hated flooing, especially internationally, so much in the first place. She was quickly reminded when she fell from an eight-foot-drop at least, and landed on her backside. The next thing she realized she was doing, Tonks was coughing up ashes and gagging in a cloud of dark grey, glittering soot. Yes, she really did hate floo traveling with all her heart. Tonks rolled over, staggering and clawing her way out of the black cloud.<p>

"There, there, Nymphadora," Remus sighed. She could feel him reaching for her and he quickly found her hand, pulling her up to her feet.

She coughed several times more and blinked many times to clear up her vision. "Bugger all. I hate flooing. No wonder Silvia didn't want to come," she grumbled and groaned as the wave of pain from Tonks' aching back hit her.

"_Tergeo_," said Remus, removing all traces of ash from her body.

"Come, Tonks, Remus, or we'll miss the bus," Alexis said, walking off ahead of them.

At first, Tonks was slightly annoyed by her cousin's uncaring nature but silenced when she realized that Alexis may be upset being so close to her old home and her sweet baby memories…without her parents. Before walking off, Tonks took a moment with Remus to marvel at the brilliant extravagance that was the terminal they'd arrived it. It was similar to Platform 7 ¾, but it was different as well. The windows were open and the weather really was warmer. The sunlight was natural and the entire platform was decorated with many arrays of flowers, hedges, and other plants. It was like being in a massive garden, completed with a small stream with rushing water.

"My god," Tonks gasped, walking around. She stared at the manmade stream in awe.

"It's a pity we've come here on business instead of vacation," said Remus.

"Pity indeed," Tonks gawked.

They had to hurry to catch up with Alexis who had already crossed the barrier onto the muggle railway terminus. Remus, hand in hand with Tonks, dove through the barrier without care whether they'd be spotted by muggles or not. Fortunately they weren't. A short distance later, they were still following Alexis but they'd now arrived outside onto the streets of Lyon, France. Once again, Tonks and Remus both wished that they had no troubles weighing them down and they weren't there on business. They were marveling at the beautiful and historic metropolis that was Lyon.

Emerald eyes were immediately enchanted by the massive basilica that towered over the city in gleaming white walls. It was impressive and she could have sworn she'd heard of its name once before. Remus' gentle blue eyes were mesmerized by the lively city life there with its cobbled streets and bistros and shops crowded with tourists and passerby alike.

"Hurry, Lexi's leaving," said Remus, pulling Tonks out of her beautiful reverie.

"Obviously she's in no mood for sightseeing," Tonks grumbled as she followed suit.

When they finally caught up to Alexis, Tonks and Remus saw that the reminiscent young woman was now waiting for them beside a bus stop. Several minutes later, a white and red bus came and Tonks realized that had they taken a little bit more time, they would have missed this bus. Alexis boarded then Tonks, and then Remus. They followed Alexis still and sought a seat in the far back, sitting amongst many chattering muggles speaking in very fast French.

"Do you understand them?" Tonks asked her cousin in an attempt to make conversation.

Alexis nodded. "A bit," she answered. "Get comfortable because this will be a very long ride. This is the only bus that will take us out of the city."

Tonks nodded and for the rest of the trip, Alexis was silent. Feeling uncomfortable in the bubble of silence that encased them, Tonks turned over to Remus who was staring out the window, gazing upon the many more basilicas and elegant structures that surrounded the historic city. For a while she settled herself with watching the scenery with him. When the scenery began to change from urban to rural, Tonks and Remus began talking. They spoke as they gazed out upon scenes of vast and endless green, rolling hills and trees, and massive fields of farmlands.

"I now can't decide if I prefer the city or the farmlands," said Tonks.

"Personally, I like this area," said Remus, gesturing to the window. "More space."

"Looks beautiful too," said Tonks, leaning onto him and gazing out the bright window. "But it's a bit empty, is it not?"

"Maybe a small town is more your preference," Remus smiled.

"Like my home…where mum lives," Tonks smiled. "Although a stream would be nice," she added as they crossed a small stone bridge.

No more than an hour later, they arrived at a small dirt path that looked like it hadn't been treaded upon in years. Remus and Tonks became breathless as they looked out towards the open field on the other side of the large wall of ivy they stood beside. The field was of slopping green grass, flowing in the singing wind. It was in a way, majestic. Tonks found herself staring breathless for a long time. She was only pulled back to reality when Remus gave her a gentle tap on the shoulder and a gentle nudge backward.

"Come on love," he said.

They walked to the ivy wall and pushed open a wonky gate, crossing the premise and onto a piece of land that somehow felt too warm to be of late February weather, even in France. Before long, Alexis, Remus, and Tonks arrived upon a tall and ancient two-story cottage. The cottage sat in silence, set apart from all worldly matters but holding an air of openness and freedom to it. The house made Tonks feel like a pinioned bird with clipped wings. She was able to leave it but something about it made her want to stay. The cottage was shrouded in a mysterious glamour with climbing roses and honeysuckle, its windows like eyes overlooking a radiant field of sunflowers and a small pond, lofty in their greeting, immortal in their vivid and delicate beauty. This was Alexis' childhood home.

"This is brilliant!" Tonks grinned. "You never told me your home looked like this!"

Sometimes, ignorance isn't bliss and Tonks quickly came to realize why Alexis rarely ever spoke about her life before age five. It hurt. Without her parents, the good memories only brought her pain. Remus nudged her and when Tonks turned to him, he held his index finger up to his lips and gently hushed her. She then followed Remus' finger as he pointed her attention to Alexis' distant eyes. She always had that distant look whenever she was pensive, but that time, her reminiscence was sorrowful. Looking into her cousin's dark brown almost black eyes, Tonks could see the wistful look come to a crescendo. Alexis had caught sight of splendid broken line of sunflower hills on which her baby eyes had looked some twenty-three years ago.

"Lexi, let's go," said Tonks, nudging Alexis along softly into the house. "We'll be out of here soon…then you can forget all about it if you want…."

Alexis sighed. "Come along then."

They entered the house, plunging into a tranquil coolness that drowned the interior of the cottage. All was silent and still. The inside was dark, casted in shadows with occasional glimpse of sunlight from the windows without curtains. Tonks could still remember her Uncle Marcus and Aunt Michelle. She remembered them clearly in the short time she'd known them. They were what Tonks considered, the best parents ever. Uncle Marcus was free-spirit, chaotic, and funny. Aunt Michelle brought order and rules to the family but not without a spark of brilliance of her own. Both their qualities mixed perfectly into Lexi some twenty years later.

Old, musty furniture filled the house. It looked lived in and Remus' observant eyes spotted an open newspaper lying on the coffee table beside a set of books. It looked as if the cottage's last residents had expected to return from a short trip, an expectation sadly never met. A thin layer of dust covered the higher shelves. One peculiarity that Remus' blue eyes spotted was that the rest of the house looked perfectly intact. Someone had been caring for it.

A series of clanking suddenly sounded and their attention turned to the kitchen, its black and white tiled floors glistening in the dusty sunlight. Remus was taken back and Tonks' auror instinct had her pull her wand out when they saw a very small being approach them. Alexis didn't seem surprised at all. A closer look and Remus realized that they were greeted by a house-elf dressed in an armor of pots and pans.

"Who goes there?" the elf demanded in a high, squeaky voice. "Loony warns you! Loony will not let anyone harm master and madam's house!"

"Is she one of the house-elves we're looking for?" Tonks asked.

"I believe so," Remus answered.

"Loony," Alexis called in a mellow voice. Tonks glimpsed a smile from her cousin. "Loony, it's alright," she said.

"Loony thinks it is not alright! Who are you?"

Alexis bent down on both knees and beckoned the elf over to her. "Lexi, remember?"

The tiny elf with tennis-ball-like eyes gasped. Her entire armor of pots and pans clanged to the floor and Loony ran towards Alexis, bouncing on one foot as she shook a frying pan off of her back. "Lexi! Young miss Lexi!" the elf squealed. "Oh Loony has missed you dearly!" she said, collapsing tearfully into Alexis' open arms. Her tears erupted like water fountains and Tonks saw that the elf was now sobbing with a mixture of happiness and woe. "Oh Loony has heard what happened to master and madam! That beastly woman! Loony is so happy that Lexi has come back!"

Minutes later, Alexis had settled the elf down and stopped Loony's tears from spilling over like flooding rivers. Watching the two, Tonks was mildly surprised to see that her cousin's eyes were dry and tearless. She turned to Remus who too seemed to notice. He didn't say anything however. With a wave of his wand, Remus cleared up the small puddle of tears that a weeping Loony had left. Alexis proceeded with the talking while Remus and Tonks stood quietly to the side; hands intertwined and minds wondering about the good and the bad of memories.

"Hey Loony," she began in an almost motherly way. "I heard that an old friend of yours had come to visit." Loony's eyes bulged with guilt but Alexis' gentle laughter diminished the negative feeling right away. "It's alright, I don't mind. See, I've brought people too. This is Tonks, my cousin, and Remus, a very close friend. Loony, who is your friend?"

"Loony's friend is Winky, young miss," the elf replied slowly.

"Tonks has something important she needs to talk to Winky about. Can we see Winky?"

Loony seemed hesitant but she nodded. "Loony will take you. Winky is in the kitchen." The tiny elf tenderly took Alexis' hand and led them towards the kitchen with its gleaming black and white tiles. They walked through the kitchen and into a very small room that would have been mistaken for a pantry had one not known better. They were now standing in Loony's room and Tonks saw that the elf had made a cozy little home for herself there. In the far corner, sitting beside an elf-size bed with several bottles of empty firewhiskey, was Winky the house-elf.

"Winky?" Tonks asked; taking a careful step towards the elf caught in a drunken stupor.

The house-elf hiccupped. "Are these your masters, Loony?" the elf asked.

Loony shook her head and walked over to her friend. "No Winky, these are friends of Loony's masters," she smiled tearfully. "Master Remus, Madam Tonks, you can try to talk to Winky. Loony is afraid she may be a bit drunk."

"It's alright, we'll manage," Tonks, blonde and curly haired, smiled. "Though please don't call me Madam Tonks, it's just Tonks. Madam Tonks makes me feel like my mum."

"Only _you_ would correct an elf on how to address you," Remus sighed and came down to one knee beside Tonks and in front of Winky and Loony.

"Prat," said Tonks, smiling and rolling her eyes at him. "Anyways, Winky, you've worked for Mr. Crouch, correct?" Her auror nature took over and her tone of question was icy.

Winky nodded. Unexpectedly, she doubled over crying, her head in her hands as loud, weeping sobs sounded through the small room. "Oh my poor old master! How will he go without me? Master Crouch is already so old! My poor old master!" she wept.

Tonks pulled back awkwardly. She didn't expect the drunken elf to start balling her eyes out. "Um, err…Winky, can we ask you a few questions about Mr. Crouch?"

"Of course not!" the elf snapped in a vicious voice. "Winky will _not_ betray master!"

"You're not betraying him," said Remus. "You may very well be saving his life."

"Saving master's life? What have you done to Winky's master?" she growled.

Remus too backed away. "We haven't done anything!" he answered, remaining civil.

"What have you done to Winky's master?" the elf demanded.

"Winky, calm down," said Tonks, pushing the elf back. She really wondered what harm a drunken elf could do but she dare not find out. "We haven't done anything, but we think we might know someone who is harming your master."

Winky paused in her stance. "Who is harming master?"

"Your master's son," Remus answered. "Barty Crouch Jr."

"No. NO!" Winky screamed. "Master Barty would never!"

"Winky, we think you know something that will help us," said Tonks. "You've seen your Master Barty come back from Azkaban, yes? What is he planning? How did he escape?"

Winky's wide, teary eyes bulged slightly and she backed away from them, shaking her head vigorously. "Winky does not know."

"You _do_ know," Tonks pressed.

"Winky will not betray Master Barty!"

"You're a free elf!" Tonks exclaimed, becoming irritated.

"Winky will not betray masters! Winky is a free elf but Winky will not betray!"

"Winky, your master, Mr. Crouch, is suspected to be under the Imperius Curse," Remus sighed. "If you tell us what you know, you could be saving him."

"Winky will not betray Master Barty! Master Barty will be ruined!"

"For god's sake, you're a free elf!" said Tonks.

"Winky is not a traitor!"

Tonks was about to speak about but Alexis' subtle clearing of her throat silenced her immediately. From behind, Alexis stepped up and beckoned Loony over to her. "Being free is a gift, is it not?" she asked, her question directed towards a quiet Winky. "I won't deny that to tell us what you know is betraying your Master Barty…" Alexis paused and from a pocket of her blazer, she pulled out the navy blue hand-knit hat Tonks had seen earlier. "But there are times when you _have_ to…supposedly, _betray_, for the good of others." Alexis placed the hat upon Winky's head and shaped it to fit the elf nicely.

A glistening smile lit up Loony's face. "Lexi has given Loony a hat!"

"Yes," Alexis smiled. For the first time that day, her smile was from the heart. "Loony is free. I'm sorry; I should have done this sooner."

"Loony thanks you," the elf said, growing teary again. "Thank you."

Tonks had to admit, she was somewhat getting tired of the teary and balling house-elves, but she knew it couldn't be helped. As Tonks rolled her eyes, Remus had shifted closer to Winky. He cautiously placed a hand on the tiny elf, looking at them all with a slight hint of fear in her eyes. Remus spoke kind and gentle words that Tonks admit anyone would listen.

"To be free and to help us won't make you a traitor, Winky," said Remus. "Mr. Crouch could possibly be under his own son's Imperius Curse. Barty Crouch Jr. is planning a scheme that if successful, could mean war upon our world. You _must_ help us."

There was a moment's silence. Tonks turned back, searching for Alexis, but found that her cousin had disappeared somewhere, leaving in silence. Loony seemed aware, but she said nothing. Deciding to look for Alexis later, Tonks' eyes returned to Winky in hopes of hearing news that would help her case.

"Winky's master, Master Crouch, is a very kind man," Winky began quietly. "Master loves his son dearly. When Master Barty was sentenced to Azkaban, Master and Madam could not bear to let him in there. They-they broke him out." The elf suddenly gasped and began pounding herself with her own fist.

Remus quickly grabbed hold of her and prevented her from continuing to hurt herself, a possible habit from the cruel mistreatment of house-elves and punishments they are bound by. "You're a free elf now Winky. You don't have to hit yourself. Go on, please continue with what you were saying," said Remus in a velvety voice.

"Madam gave her life to save Master Barty from a life in Azkaban. When Master Barty returned, Master Crouch placed him under the dreadful Imperius Curse to make sure he behaves. Winky was tasked to follow Master Barty wherever he went, to keep an eye on him. He had to wear an Invisibility Cloak everywhere. Oh, Master Barty was not free." Winky pulled on her ears and shook her head woefully. "But Master Barty was a good boy. He listened to his father. However…Winky saw that Master Barty was growing stronger. Master Barty eventually was able to break free of Master's Imperius Curse. Master Barty could walk free! And-and Winky could do nothing because Master Barty ordered her to stay put and not tell the old Master!" She reached for a bottle of firewhiskey on the floor and emptied the last few drops of its contents into her mouth. "Master Barty did not completely leave the old Master. No, Master Barty was biding time, planning something, Winky thinks. One night, this past summer, Master Barty came home wet and dirty from the storm outside. Winky thought it odd."

She reached and searched for another flagon of whiskey. Tonks thought that since the drunken elf seemed unable to stop talking being so drunk, she'd intoxicate the elf slightly more. Tonks reached for the one bottle, half way full, that she'd found in another corner, and handed the bottle to the elf. Remus shot her a look but they allowed Winky to continue.

"Master Barty had lots of dried grass and dirt on his shoes. Winky had to clean it. Winky thought it odd—the old Master's house had a cobbled path. What was Master Barty doing in the dirt and grass? Then Winky saw. Oh it was terrible, moving by itself, squirming disgustedly. Master Barty had brought home an eye! A very blue eyeball! Master Barty made Winky hide the eye, a clump of grey hair, and a large cauldron of a very strange potion! It bubbled and looked like mud! Oh Winky wondered what Master Barty was doing with such horrid things."

The house-elf hiccupped and fell over sideways, falling asleep. Remus and Tonks pulled back, their eyebrows furrowed together and eyes deep in thought. "Crouch Jr. had Moody's magical eye!"

"If Tonks and Master Remus wish to discuss this, Loony can lead them to the drawing room," Loony offered after tucking a drunken Winky in with a quilt blanket.

"That would be nice, thank you Loony," said Remus, following the elf and leading Tonks along. The tiny elf lead them through the main living room, the small dining room decorated with a still beautiful and majestic chandelier, and into a cozy drawing room filled with many shelves of books and picture frames. There were pictures of Alexis as a baby, pictures of her just learning how to walk and staggering towards her father happily clapping several feet away. There were many pictures all around the room. Remus' first impression of the drawing room was that it was a room Alexis wanted to keep away from. "Thank you, Loony," he said as the elf left them, heading up the squeaking staircase.

"So we now know that Crouch came home with Moody's eye. That means he'd encountered Moody just before that," said Tonks.

"This was in the summer," Remus told her. "Winky said it was last summer, so it was this recent summer," he clarified. "And the potion…" He twisted his face, trying to remember Winky's exact words. "It bubbled and looked like mud." Remus suddenly looked up, realization dawning. His eyes met Tonks and she had the same look in her twinkling eyes.

"Polyjuice Potion," she said.

"Coming home with Moody's eye, a clump of hair, and a batch of polyjuice potion…of course!" he exclaimed, pacing the room. "Remember when we were following Moody—"

"Rosier," Tonks corrected. "We were following Rosier."

"Right, we were following Rosier and we came to the apothecary and found out he was buying potions ingredients—lacewing flies was a part of the list."

"That's the ingredient for Polyjuice Potion," said Tonks. "Rosier was brewing Polyjuice Potion for Crouch."

"And with Moody's hair—"

"Crouch is Moody!" Tonks exclaimed. "Bloody hell! Why didn't we see it before?"

"Crouch is Moody, Moody is Crouch—Barty Crouch Jr. is using Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Moody."

"So it was that sick bastard the whole time! Moody never betrayed us."

"The question is: where is the real Moody?" Remus asked.

"Crouch must be hiding him." Tonks too was up on her feet, pacing the room in parallel direction of Remus. "Polyjuice Potion doesn't last forever. Crouch must be hiding the real Mad-Eye somewhere to get his hair."

"And don't forget access to some of his memories. Crouch needs to have access to some of Alastor's memories to have been able to keep his mendacity up for this long. He must also either be a skilled Legilimens or—"

"Or use the Cruciatus Curse."

"Yes, the Torture Curse," Remus sighed. "So love, your entire investigation has been changed once again."

"I don't care how many times it changed; I'm getting closer to the end."

"We need to find Crouch, or in this case Moody."

"Then find proof that he is using Polyjuice Potion—that should be easy."

"We must find the real Mad-Eye quickly as well. If by chance he's using the Cruciatus Curse, we can't let Mad-Eye suffer any longer."

"Of course; so we must return to London now!"

"But how are we going to meet with Moody, or Crouch…?"

Tonks paused in her pacing. Surely if they just stormed into Hogwarts, the students would question and Dumbledore would not be happy. Especially with the prospect of the Triwizard Tournament going on, simply storming into Hogwarts and creating a scene with one of its teachers, a famous ex-auror at that; would not be a wise move to make. With Harry present, the ever curious and heroic boy would get tied up in trying to help them.

"We need a distraction," said Remus. "Something that will get most of the kids out of the castle—a time we can speak with Moody alone."

"A Hogsmeade Weekend?"

"No," said Remus, suddenly grinning. For the very first time in his life, he was overly glad he constantly kept track of the lunar cycle. "March's Moon Festival is an entire week. Surely in one of those seven days, either the kids would be allowed to leave the castle or Moody would leave," he suggested.

"The Moon Festival…but Remus, that's weeks away!"

"I'm afraid we don't have another Hogsmeade Weekend anytime sooner," Remus sighed.

"During one night, it would be the full moon."

"I'll live, don't worry. Nymphadora, you case had dragged out long enough. Now that we know the real Alastor may be imprisoned somewhere, the Moon Festival is the only chance we've got at talking to the fake Moody one on one."

"Can't you think of any time earlier?"

Remus shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not."

Tonks sighed. "Guess we better let Silvia know…Sirius would want to know as well."

"Shall we get Lexi? I'm guessing she wants to leave this place quickly."

"You know, I don't really understand—"

"Memories are strange, peculiar things, Nymphadora," Remus explained in a voice soft as satin. "Often times we cannot tell which memories are good and which memories are bad. They may mask themselves and deceive us. For Lexi, her beautiful childhood memories of this place are considered bad because they remind her of her parents…who are no longer with her. My love, a reminder of something you no longer have is a rather painful reminder."

Tonks nodded, coming to an understanding with why her cousin disdained the beautiful, sunlit cottage. "I'll go get her," said Tonks softly. "You relax for a bit. You're working so hard to help me and it's not even your job!"

Remus placed a gentle and fleeting kiss upon her lips. When he pulled back, Tonks could still feel the heat of his warm lips and taste the chocolate upon her own. "I am your boyfriend," he reminded her. "I am your lover and I feel it's my responsibility to help you in any way I can."

"Moony you tosser," she smiled before pulling away from him.

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><p>Tonks was amazed at how big the house was on the inside as opposed to the deceiving outside appearance of it. She walked through the house slowly, pushing doors slightly open to peek inside, looking for her raven-haired cousin who seemed to have disappeared. When Tonks passed by a window, she looked outside into the sunflower garden and pond and found her cousin wasn't there. Alexis was still inside the house. Quietly, Tonks continued to tread through, passing what looked like her aunt and uncle's old bedroom. Their bed sheets were made—it looked as if they were expected back. She could only imagine how terrible it must feel to have such bad things happen to you so suddenly. She knew Alexis and even Sirius and Remus knew that feeling well, all too well.<p>

"Nymphadora," Remus' voice called.

She turned around to see him standing beside her, gesturing towards another room with its door slightly ajar. "You're supposed to be relaxing downstairs."

"Curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to look around," he said. "She's in there." He tilted his head towards the door he stood beside and gestured her in.

Softly, Tonks went forward and into the small room. She was standing in what looked like a nursery and immediately realized that it must have been Alexis' old bedroom. Near the window there was a wooden crib, silent and still; untouched for many years. Small toys scattered the floor and a chest of musty stuffed animals sat in the far corner. The wall beside it was filled with black and white pictures, moving pictures full of smiling faces. The pictures were of Alexis and her parents, smiling, laughing, singing, and dancing. There were more pictures there than the drawing room had. Beside the window there was a creaking wooden rocking chair. Tonks found Alexis on the floor beside it, her fingers feebly pushing the chair, her eyes red and swollen.

"Lexi?" said Tonks in a gentle whisper.

Walking towards her cousin slowly, Tonks saw that Alexis' red eyes were still crying. Tears were falling silently from her eyes, renewing the streaks that stained her face. She stared blankly at the wall of pictures, her slender fingers still pushing the rocking chair ever so slightly. Never in her life had Tonks seen her cousin so weak and helpless.

"Lexi," Tonks said again.

"Hey."

"Hey," she sighed, coming closer and kneeling down beside her cousin so as not to block her view of the wall so full of pictures and memories.

"I was just looking around," Alexis explained in a broken, raspy voice. "To see what's happened to this place. Then I came upon this…my old room."

Alexis never spoke much about her life before the age of five and Tonks never questioned. Now, she needed not to question for this house and everything in it was enough to tell Tonks all that she needed to know. She placed a comforting hand upon her cousin's shoulder and looked up towards the open window where she finally realized a bird was perched. The bird was not real however. It was a silver, wispy and ethereal bird—a patronus. It was Alexis' swallow. Tonks finally realized that the memories Alexis always used for her patronus were memories of her late parents. Though she didn't like mentioning them, she'd never let them go.

"Surprised?" Alexis asked as if able to read Tonks' mind.

"Somewhat, yeah," Tonks answered.

"Remember when I first started living with you…and you'd always ask me if I've let them go? I was always lying, really," Alexis confessed. A wistful smile crossed her face and several more drops of tears fell from her glassy dark eyes. "Even now, I can't let them go. I've been lying to you…and to myself…the entire time."

"It's alright you know," said Tonks. "They're your parents after all."

"Yes, but I'm tired of putting up this brave, this _I-could-care-less-about-the-world_ façade. I'm foolish enough to try to use time turners to relive these memories. I've been poking at time turners for months now."

"That's why you had a box of time turners in your room."

"Yeah," she sighed. "But I could never get them to work properly. They'd go back a few days or weeks at most…I could never figure out how to turn back a few years, even if I only intend to watch."

"Maybe…it's best to let those memories go—and cherish the new ones."

Alexis smiled again, her smile wry and wistful. "I have been cherishing every memory I've had," she replied. "I just wish to relive a certain set of them again. A Pensieve works, but it just doesn't feel the same. I can't…touch it."

Not quite sure of what to say, Tonks only tightened her hold on Alexis' shoulder momentarily. She sat with her cousin for a while longer, watching as Alexis continued to push the rocking chair her mother once sat in and stare at the wall of photographic memories her father had created.

Finally after some time, the sun began to set and Alexis pushed herself off the floor. Tonks followed suit and they came to meet Remus at the door of the room. He'd been leaning there the entire time, watching them in silence, an empathetic look on his face. He took Tonks' hand and patted Alexis' shoulder comfortingly. There was nothing either of them could say to her to appease her pain. Nothing can really console the pain of loss.

They returned downstairs and bade their farewells to Loony. Alexis had given the loyal house-elf her freedom along with full use of the house, trusting the loyal elf. Loony assured she'd been able to comfortably take care of herself all these years and will be able to many years more. After Alexis, Tonks, and Remus promised to visit when they are free, they left.

Walking away and leaving the beautiful two story cottage, Tonks said, "Let's go home."

Heading back towards the seemingly untouched dirt road through the wonky gate, they left behind the cottage, shrouded in mysterious glamour, with climbing roses and honeysuckle and windows, like eyes, overlooking a splendid field of sunflowers and pond on which a woman's baby eyes had looked some twenty-three years ago.


	30. Take Me to the Moon and Back

**Author's Note:**

As I'm speeding up the plot a bit, I decided not to write a werewolf-piece (you know what I mean, hopefully haha) for this full moon, I hope you don't mind. And we're nearing the end, finally right? I'm planning on 36 chapters. As for this chapter, I hope the mood isn't too weird or the transition from one scene to the next isn't too snappy. If you have any problems, feel free to let me know, I welcome constructive criticism xD Thank you and I hope you enjoy! xD Thank you everyone for the reviews in the last chapter too. If I've managed to touch your heart somehow with my writing, I feel incredibly happy err, I hope you know what I mean haha. Ok, enough rambling, enjoy xD

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><p><strong>Chapter 30 – Take Me to the Moon and Back<strong>

A quiet and rainy March came by unexpectedly, taking Tonks by surprise as she treaded down the cobbled streets of Hogsmeade on what must have been the only day without rain in the entire month. A lime green scarf whipped her escort in the face, covering his smile as he chuckled softly. Remus pulled the back of her scarf out of his face and pulled back his fringe of light brown hair. He then placed a warm hand upon her shoulder, slowing down her speedy footsteps. She was in a hurry and Remus was trying to keep her leveled.

"Calm down," he said gently. Remus was wearing a small smile but his smile neither held humor or joy—it was simply there. "We're trying to talk to him and remember: we can't hex the man in the middle of the pub," he reminded his edgy lover.

"I'm trying, Remus," Tonks groaned.

For the past several weeks, Tonks had been on edge, feeling incredibly uncomfortable knowing that her old mentor may very well be impersonated and his real self is most likely locked up somewhere and tortured to near insanity. Finally she was able to schedule a meeting with the fake Mad-Eye Moody, no doubt Barty Crouch Jr. How can Remus expect her to remain calm? Her case had dragged out for so long and Tonks was more than eager to end it. She'd murder Crouch Jr. on the spot if given the opportunity.

"You're gripping your wand," Remus sighed, tightening his grasp on her shoulder and bringing her to an unwanted halt in front of Dervish & Banges. His blue eyes, glistening under the streaming lights, gestured to her hand placed over her wand and holster under her black auror robes. "Take a breath, love."

Listening to him, Tonks' dark, twinkling eyes shifted to gaze upon the many colorful lights hung around the small town as she drew a heavy breath. It'd only come to her attention that they were on the prospect of March's Full Moon, the Storm Moon, and that month's week-long Moon Festival was starting just that evening. _Of course, that was how we were able to schedule a meeting with the fraud_, she mused.

"Better?" Remus asked.

"Tad bit," she admitted. "How can you be so calm?" she questioned. "For all we know, Mad-Eye, the real one, could be dead by now!"

Having grown used to her worried nature, Remus suppressed his own incessant worries and held her arms, stroking them up and down in hopes of calming her. "You can't get anything done being rash. Diving in to a situation head first will only make things harder for yourself. Take a breath and think," he urged. "Take it one step at a time." Upon Tonks' impatience, he relieved his counseling act and said, "We need to find where Crouch hid the real Alastor Moody first. After we find Alastor, you can do whatever you want with him."

Tonks huffed. "Alright," she groaned.

"That also means talking to him in a civil manner."

"I won't tear his throat out. Is that civil enough for you?"

"Nymphadora," he said, feeling strange as he reigned in her flaring temper.

"Fine!" she grumbled. "Merlin's beard; I wonder how you can be so calm all the time."

"Come on then," he said, taking her hand and leading her down the street towards the Hog's Head Inn. Remus had always been able to keep a good hold over his emotions, preventing it from bursting hysterically upon others around him. It was weird for him to have to extend that control upon his eccentric lover, but it seemed alright nonetheless.

Arriving at the Hog's Head Inn, they were quite surprised to see the pub so crowded—on usual days, the pub only held a few dodgy people catching a quick drink and less than friendly conversations. Walking in, Remus greeted the old bartender and the man who so resembled Albus Dumbledore gave him and his lovely lady an acknowledging nod. Tonks' sharp eyes spotted Moody immediately and she pulled Remus in that direction, heading towards the back of the pub where there were significantly less people and dimmer lights. Tonks' right hand still hovered over where Remus knew her wand was stored in its holster, but she did grab it. She maintained a stoic expression, a mask she and others in her profession often called _the Auror's Mask_. Upon this sight, Remus was assured that she would not make a scene, being bounded by her care for her old mentor, the real Alastor Moody.

"Strange of you to want a meeting with me," Moody said. His voice was low and croaky; his actions identical with the real Moody's, and Remus had to admit this imposter had already perfected his act. Remus briefly wondered exactly how much proof they would need to convince others that this was not the real, paranoid ex-auror.

"Can't an old trainee have a drink with her mentor?" Tonks asked; her voice bearing an icy tone that Remus knew was infamous within the Black family bloodline. Glimpsing at her pale, heart-shaped face, Remus could have sworn he saw a look of hauteur that Sirius often wore.

"Reasonable," the old man replied. A smirk twisted his lips as his eyes, both human and magical electric blue, fell upon Remus. "But is it customary for the trainee to bring a squire?"

"It's a festival, so it's quite customary indeed," Tonks replied. The look she gave the fake Moody overflowed with loathing and malevolence. Tonks obviously does not like those who have deceived her, an understandable reason for her animosity.

The smirk on Moody's calloused face was unchanging. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I want answers," Tonks growled.

Underneath the table, Remus could feel her hand clench his and he responded with a gentle stroke. He had originally planned to ask Moody several questions himself, for reassurance sake, but he decided that it was better for Tonks, who knew the real auror so well, to do it.

"Where is the real Alastor Moody?" Tonks asked, not bothering with reassurance.

The battle-worn man sitting across the table from them laughed. His laughter was low and sounded like a very out of tune set of strings playing—it was croaky and unnatural. "You're not going on about your silly accusations of me being a fake, are you?" His query sounded much more like a taunt.

"You're a fake and you know it," Tonks hissed. Remus had to pull her back from standing up and reaching for the man's collar from across the table.

"Who do you think I am then?" Moody asked uncaringly.

"Barty Crouch Jr., tell me where the real Mad-Eye is." Tonks was growing impatient.

He laughed again, and for a bleak moment, Remus swore he saw the man's tongue slither out in a snake-like manner. "I _am_ the real Mad-Eye," he replied.

"You're an imposter, Crouch, and even you elf says it. Winky's told us everything and she's in a place where you can't silence her for precaution," said Tonks maliciously.

"An imposter?" he laughed, ignoring the mentioning of Winky entirely. Once again, he licked his lips in a snake-like way. "_Why don't you prove it!_" he hissed.

Tonks sat back, letting go of Remus' hand momentarily. "What is _constant vigilance_?" she asked and Remus spotted that for a moment, Tonks seemed to be bracing herself.

Moody chuckled. "You must always be watchful, not just as an auror but as a person. People make enemies and you never known when an enemy could be plotting vengeance towards you. Being watchful is the best. Always be on the lookout."

Remus had to commend the imposter. He repeated it in the same way Alastor Moody would have, in partially a fatherly way but also a teacher-like way. His definition was long-winded and thorough; much like the real Moody would have been like. Fleetingly, Remus doubted whether this was actually the real Alastor.

The small, barely there smile on Tonks lips curled into a triumphant smirk. "Correct in definition," she said. "But very wrong in appliance. Now _where_ is Alastor Moody?"

Again, he licked his lips like a snake would. "I've had enough of this," he growled.

When Moody stood up, Tonks reflected him, standing up so fast that she caused a ruckus and drew in unwanted attention from the others in the pub. Her wand was already out and in her hands, and so was Moody's while Remus had barely had time to reach for his own. "I will kill you if I have to," she snarled.

"In a pub full of people? I think not," he replied. "How will you find your beloved mentor if I'm dead?"

Reacting fast, Remus held Tonks back before she lunged at the departing man. Moody had turned, his heavy brown cloak sweeping behind him as he left the pub in a breeze. Tonks, restrained by Remus, was glaring at the closing door with a look of sheer, hysterical hostility Remus had never seen in her before.

"Calm down," he beseeched her. "People are looking."

Tonks shook his arms off of her roughly. "I honestly _don't_ _care_, Remus," she huffed. "He's got Moody and now we're just wasting time."

"But you can't just attack him in the middle of a pub. _You'd_ be the one at fault," Remus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Come on, let's go."

"Go where?" Tonks demanded.

"We need to find the others—get their opinions in on this, and determine what to do next." It wasn't remotely surprising that Remus seemed to have everything thought through and planned out. "It's the first day of the festival and a chance to see Harry. Sirius is bound to be here somewhere," he added.

"What about Crouch?"

"We'll deal with him later." Remus urged her to follow him. "Calm down first."

Once they'd returned to the streets of Hogsmeade, Remus and Tonks were enveloped in a dream-like ambiance of colorful lights and sounds of mirthful laughter coming from all directions. Looking at his dearly beloved, Remus could not imagine a more unfitting atmosphere for her. She was angry and bothered by worry while the rest of the world was laughing and having a good time.

"Enlighten me," he said, walking beside her and hoping to gradually divert her attention elsewhere and diminish her of rage. "Why did you ask Crouch what _constant vigilance_ means?"

Tonks drew a long breath. "Everyone who's made the mistake of asking the real Mad-Eye what _constant vigilance_ meant had been subjected to a very bad hex," she answered. "He didn't hex me when he answered. His hand wasn't even anywhere near his wand." As Remus nodded and mouthed the word "oh", Tonks added, "Silvia knows this. He gave her a pretty hard Tickling Hex when she made the mistake of asking. Marrick was worse off—poor bloke couldn't stop laughing for hours."

"So even now, you don't want to believe that Moody's been impersonated?"

"Not at all," Tonks confessed. "Remus, I'd rather he turn against us but still be safe than be subjected to whatever hell-hole the monster Crouch had placed him in."

"You care about him," Remus commented. "So we must hurry and find the others."

"What's the point?" she asked, sounding suddenly defeated.

"What do you mean?"

"Look around you. Everyone's laughing and having fun. Even if we found Sirius, he'd be too caught up talking to Harry to want to help," she explained. "I want to help," Remus said weakly as Tonks continued saying, "Even Silvia and Lexi wouldn't be in a mood to pursue this case. I'm just going to head home. It's a lost cause tonight."

"Now wait a minute," Remus said, taking her hand and holding her back. If Tonks was going to give up on the case for that night, he wasn't going to argue—she needed a break from all the worrying and he was more than happy to divert her mind elsewhere. "Why don't you enjoy the scene? We won't be here long."

Tonks looked at him, her green eyes twinkling with a question she did not want to ask. She was wondering how in the world Remus expected her to be able to enjoy the rowdy and colorful festival when inside she was feeling so dreary and drawn.

* * *

><p>In all the defeat and displeasure she'd been facing, her only taste of triumph was found in her success of convincing her workaholic of a boyfriend to accompany her to the Moon Festival that night. She knew the first night of the weeklong festival were never as rowdy and wild, but she liked it better that way—a beautiful and colorful ambiance without all the noise and chaos. That night, under twinkling lights strewn from one building to the next, Alexis was walking hand in hand with Marrick who was supposed to be staying overtime. She was smiling again, returning to her usual, sociable self weeks after a visit to her forsaken childhood.<p>

"You're smiling again," Marrick pointed out.

"I always smile," she said.

"Recently, not as bright," he replied and smoothly shifted so that his hand was now upon her waist, her leg brushing against his with every step they took.

"Glad you noticed," she replied, and smiled a little brighter. "Weasleys!" she shouted suddenly, surprising him with her brilliant grin.

Marrick followed her gleaming dark eyes and found Fred and George Weasley waving wildly at them as they made their way through the small crowd that filled the street. The twins, red-haired and freckled, smiled at them. Their smiles identical but Marrick saw one was much, much brighter than the other's—George's.

"You spot them so easily," Marrick laughed quietly into Alexis' ear.

"Well they're not that hard to find, actually," she replied, seeming more ecstatic than she'd been all week.

"Lexi! Marrick!" Fred grinned.

"Fancy seeing you here," said George, hazel eyes twinkling under the colorful lights.

"Yeah. We thought you'd be at home," Fred gestured to Alexis.

"Or at work," George grinned and looked to Marrick.

"I've been coerced," Marrick replied, smiling.

"No, he's cheering his girlfriend up like any good boyfriend should," Alexis replied. "So George, Fred, what have you two hellions been up to?" she asked with a sly smirk.

George's grin brightened, if that was still possible. "Oh you know; the norm."

"We've had more success if that's what you're wondering," Fred added, sighing in relief.

"That's brilliant," Lexi laughed. Marrick had never seen her laugh all week. "I tell you, when I got that owl, I laughed myself silly."

"Glad you find amusement in our pain," said Fred, sticking his tongue out indignantly.

"What's going on?" Marrick questioned, unable to help his growing curiosity at what the twins have told Lexi that could make her laugh so much.

"You don't really want to know," said George, shivering.

"_Nasty_ side-effects," Fred added.

"Terrible feeling on broomsticks," George was whispering loud enough for him to hear.

"If you know what we mean," Fred finished, making a fearful face.

After several more laughs and conversations with the Weasley twins, the two parties went their separate ways onto separate ends of the festival. While walking, Marrick couldn't help but wonder how Alexis could laugh so easily around the two young but brilliant troublemakers. He previously concluded that it was because they share the same love for mischief, but now he felt there was a little more. With curiosity getting the better of him, Marrick turned to her and questioned why.

"You've only smiled with me today," he said.

"You make me smile," she replied, shrugging.

"But you laughed so easily with Fred and George."

"They're hilarious," she answered easily.

"Really?" he asked, playing a smirk across his face. "Why don't you laugh with me?"

"I don't know," she shrugged but paused in her step. "Where are you going with this?"

That time, Marrick shrugged. "I don't know," he answered, feigning nonchalance. He wanted to go somewhere, but it was a destination he couldn't really explain properly. "I was just curious," he lamely explained.

Alexis sighed. She'd been through these sorts of conversations with him many times before. "You're not questioning the friendship between me and George, are you?" she asked.

"Why not Fred?"

She paused, unable to think of a proper answer. "No idea—George came to mind first."

"Well then yes," he nodded firmly. "You know me. I'm an auror, I like to question."

Rolling her eyes, Alexis pushed Marrick against a street lamp and placed her hands upon his chest. She kept quiet for a moment, feeling the rising rhythm of his ever-sounding heartbeat. It was lovely, like a melody to her ears. She'd always loved making his heartbeat rise for reasons she cannot explain.

"Just because he's my best friend doesn't mean you should grow jealous," she began to say in a smooth, nearly seductive tone. "It's alright for a woman to have a best friend where she can tease the silly acts her boyfriend does with." She drew a small breath and her tone shifted to an entrancing whisper. "I'm with _you_, aren't I? I know what I want. I want you, Marrick, _you_."

* * *

><p>Remus wished there was more that he could do. He always found himself in those situations—wishing he was of more help but being unable to find a way to be of aid. Sighing, he continued to stroll down the now crowded and busy High Street of Hogsmeade. People were filling up the street, stopping by stalls of colorful merchandise, admiring the flashing lights, gazing upon the waxing moon, and so on. Another sigh escaped his breath as his eyes looked up towards the moon hanging brightly in the star-strewn sky. He wanes as the moon waxes.<p>

"If you're tired, we can go home," said Tonks quietly. Being with Remus for so long, she'd grown very aware of the moon cycle and when it waxes and wanes.

He shook his head. "Aren't we looking for the others?"

They suddenly came to a stop. Tonks was looking to the side towards a flickering lamppost on the side of the street. Following her gaze, Remus' eyes fell upon a loving couple, standing together under the flickering light, their faces covered as their lips placed gentle kisses upon the other. He noticed Tonks release a gentle sigh as she looked at them and without saying anything, she continued to walk again. The sight of the two lovers under the streetlight was quite beautiful in all aspect, especially with small patches of snow still scattered amongst the cobbled streets. It wasn't until they were a while away that Tonks spoke again.

"Reckon it'd be rude to interrupt them," she said. "So we can't talk to Lexi tonight."

"Guess not," Remus responded before pausing as they treaded upon a small crowded huddled together on the side of the street. "Wonder what's going on," he said, walking with Tonks into the mass of people and weaving their way into the middle.

"Someone's putting on a show?" she suggested—it was rather common during festivals.

Squeezing their way into the center of the crowd, Remus and Tonks spotted a sight they knew all too well. It was not a street show although the many people watching would think differently. A young witch, shockingly beautiful despite her frail appearance, was angrily but feebly hitting a wizard on his chest. Remus swallowed while Tonks' jaw fell and her eyes widened. They knew the two to be rather argumentative people, especially when they're together, but they never expected them to make such a scene.

"You heartless, heartless, _heartless_ bastard!" Silvia White shrieked as she weakly pounded Sirius' chest with her fist.

"Silvia, stop it!" Sirius groaned as he took hold of her hands, holding her tightly as she struggled in his arms. "People are watching!" he hissed.

"I don't give a damn!" Silvia cried. "Sirius Black you are an insufferable arse! If you're not going to take responsibility for your mistake then don't butt into my life!"

"I'm sorry!" Sirius replied. "Let's take this elsewhere with preferably less people," he grumbled, trying hard to pull her back into the Three Broomsticks.

Remus and Tonks were still staring in shock. To the side, they spotted Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, fixated upon the arguing couple. The expressions upon their faces were a mixture of worry and embarrassment and Tonks could understand why. She nudged Remus and moved closer to the fighting couple.

"We should do something," said Tonks.

Nodding, Remus pushed his way past the last few people standing in their way. Before he and Tonks could reach Sirius and Silvia however, the two had disapparated on the spot with the sound of a very loud and thunderous _crack_. "Padfoot you tosser," Remus sighed. "You could have splinched Silv and yourself." He face-palmed himself and shook his head.

Tonks had already seized the back of Harry's robes and pulled him over to them. The boy's face lit up with surprise but the embarrassment was quickly leaving him. "Harry, what just happened?" she questioned.

"Sirius said something and Silvia got angry," he sighed. "I don't really know what."

Hermione pushed Harry aside a little too roughly, standing in front of Tonks with a full explanation. "Sirius and Silvia were arguing about a baby and taking responsibility," she said. "Tonks, Professor Lupin, you never told us Silvia was pregnant!"

"And with Sirius' baby nonetheless!" Ginny cried.

"That's shocking news!" Hermione finished.

"Well we figured _they_ should tell you," Remus replied.

"Oh yeah, they told us alright," said Ron, shaking his head.

"How'd they get into such a big fight?" Tonks asked. "It's not like Silvia to throw such a tantrum," she added, knowing the auror for so long.

"She _is_ pregnant," said Ginny.

"Oh Ginny, the pregnancy hormones don't usually act up until months into the pregnancy," said Hermione. "I've read all about it." Ron's eyes widened and he asked, "What sort of things are you _reading_, Hermione?" But Hermione completely ignored him and continued saying, "Sirius was talking to us and Harry. Silvia came like always to meet us and she looked completely knackered from work. Sirius then started nagging at her about taking care of herself for the baby's health and she got mad at him, asking him if he was going to take responsibility or not. Sirius said he doesn't want a child, a godson is enough, and Silvia told him to leave her alone. Sirius then argued with her about being uncaring and then you saw what happened." Hermione spoke all in one breath, gasping for air after she finished.

"Blimey," said Tonks. "We need to talk to them."

Remus nodded. "We'll find Silvia first and we can talk to Sirius when I take you home."

Tonks nodded and patted Ginny and Hermione's shoulder gently. "Reckon you four were embarrassed out of your mind?"

"It's like seeing your parents argue," Harry sighed.

"I still think Sirius has the right to choose between starting a family and keeping his freedom," said Ron pensively. "I mean he's only just gotten his freedom back."

"Honestly Ronald, does that mean that when you accidentally impregnate a woman when you're older, you're going to just leave her without taking any responsibility whatsoever?" Hermione snapped, causing Ron to stutter for a response.

Tonks and Remus exchanged exasperated looks. That festival night somehow felt very long. Tonks' mood was not uplifted in any way and her burden of worry only seemed to become heavier after seeing Sirius and Silvia fight so publically. When she turned to Remus, she could see the weight on his shoulders heavy as well—he was just being silent about it. She bit her lips, unsure of what to do about their troublesome mental states.

* * *

><p>He could barely see the brass numbers hanging on the burgundy red door as he leaned upon it and tried to unlock the door with his wand held lazily in his hands. Sirius only knew that he was returning home late—very late. The last glimpse he had of the night sky was several minutes ago before he entered his building and he saw the pitch black of the night turn into a dark blue with a speck of light in the distance. He honestly wondered how a night could go by so quickly. All he did was argue with Silvia a little then had a few drinks at a muggle bar down the street from his flat.<p>

"Open!" he groaned when the lock wouldn't click open for him.

Sirius suddenly tumbled forward as if by the command of his voice, the door opened for him. He had suddenly fallen face first into a bony, lanky frame, his cheeks rested upon the jutting collarbone of his best friend who stood at the open doorway, holding onto him.

"Moony, you really need to eat more," Sirius groaned in his drunken stupor.

"The full moon is near," Remus explained in a calm and mellow voice as he led Sirius over to the long, dark grey sofa. "Even if I eat a five course meal I wouldn't gain any weight."

There was a soft and muffled thud. Sirius collapsed onto his grey sofa, motionless for a while until he felt Remus press the tip of his wand against his back. A warm feeling emitted from the wand tip and the next thing he knew, Sirius felt a warm sensation consuming his entire body, successfully waking him up at the same time. His slurred speech and blurred vision was gone and Sirius sat up, feeling as if he'd just woken up from a very short nap. Blankly, he stared at his brilliant friend for a moment.

"Blimey, where'd you learn how to relieve a hangover?" Sirius asked.

"A book," Remus smiled. "You should try reading more."

Sirius scoffed and kicked back on his sofa. When he reached for the long, rectangular television remote his cousins and Harry had explained to him how to use, Remus suddenly placed a hand over Sirius'. Piercing grey eyes looked up to meet gentle blue ones. "I want to watch the muggle box."

"After we talk," said Remus firmly.

Crossing his arms indignantly, Sirius said, "You've spoken to Silv I suppose?"

Remus nodded. "Right before I took Nymphadora home and helped her into bed."

"Oh, please don't tell me what you and Tonksie were up to," Sirius teased.

"Don't digress," Remus sighed. "We need to talk about what you're doing. You know you're hurting Silvia by pushing away the mistake you made…?"

"How am I hurting her?" Sirius asked. "She's perfectly fine with the baby. She's even strong enough to stun me a few times. Thank Merlin I can make fast Shield Charms."

"Sirius, be serious," said Remus. He suddenly paused upon the smirk that was breaking across Sirius' weary face. "No pun intended."

"Oh pun intended indeed," Sirius laughed.

"Sirius," Remus growled, glaring at Sirius with a stern gaze his gentle eyes rarely wore.

"Alright," Sirius sighed, his smile falling. "Remus, you've known me for years, decades. If there's one thing you know about me is that I hate living behind lines."

"By your complete disregard for the rules all throughout school, yes, I'm very aware of that," Remus responded in a low voice.

Sirius glared at him. "As I was saying," he said loudly. "If I stay with Silvia any longer, I'd have to marry her. Marriage means lines and rules and boundaries I cannot cross. I can't live that way. I mean honestly Remus. I was put in jail for twelve years for a crime I did not do. Now that I'm out, I just want to enjoy my freedom. I can't tie myself down with Silvia, even if she's carrying twins and bloody hell; don't let that jinx me."

"Sirius, I understand that freedom is important to you—"

"Freedom is everything to me," Sirius said. "Freedom is all I have and all I can keep if everything collapses. People die every day. We never know when we're going to die. I can drop dead tomorrow. Freedom is all that is enjoyable out of life and I just want to get the most out of it before I die. I've loved before Remus. I know what it's like. I have not yet tasted the full breath of freedom."

"You have not yet tasted the full breath of love either, Sirius," Remus explained calmly. He was always the voice of reason—when they were in school and even now, decades later. "Have you ever had a kid before, Sirius?"

"I have Harry."

"Harry is fourteen. Have you raised a child from birth?"

"No but I imagine it must be pretty terrible."

Remus sighed. "Look, Sirius. You're letting go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You're thirty-five. Don't you think it's time you clip those pinioned wings of yours and find some stability in your hectic life? Your life is _chaotic_, Sirius, don't you deny that." His voice was stern and clear, grabbing hold of Sirius' attention entirely. "You're being given an opportunity at a normal life others can only dream of." Remus paused, his eyes flickering insight into his own soul. "And besides," Remus' voice grew soft again. "Can you really detach yourself from Silvia all for the sake of freedom? You love her Sirius. Even a blind man can see that."

Again, Sirius scoffed as if what Remus had just said was some ridiculous nonsense. "I don't _love_ her," he said indignantly. "I just really like her, that's all."

Without speaking, Remus stared at his friend with one eyebrow raised. Sirius quickly became uncomfortable and when he began to squirm nervously in his seat did Remus speak again. "You _liked_ Silvia White the moment you laid eyes upon her in your second year. You began to court her in your fourth year and finally succeeded in your fifth. Sirius, you were about to _marry_ her before you got chucked into Azkaban!"

"I was young! I was stupid!"

"You're ridiculous," Remus huffed. "Alright then, but after twelve years of Azkaban, fate arranged for you to meet this woman again and again you've fallen for her. If that's not love, Sirius, I don't know what is." Frustrated, Remus ran a hand through his light brown hair. "Blimey I never thought I'd see the day where _I_ am giving you relationship advice."

"Never thought I'd see the day either, Moony," Sirius grumbled.

"Think about that," Remus finished. He stood up and returned to the magically expanded dining table where the top was covered with rolls of parchments and reports, laying haphazardly everywhere so that not an inch of the surface below was seen. Remus was quiet as he returned to what he'd been doing before, sorting through what looked like Ministry files.

Sirius shifted in his seat and turned to his friend. He was hoping to find something else to think about. "Oi, Tonks really let you look through all that?"

Remus nodded but did not speak.

"The Ministry of Magic isn't paying their workers enough if that's the load of work Tonksie gets," Sirius commented.

"Not work," said Remus. "These are reports of sightings made recently about Crouch Jr. We've just determined that Crouch Jr. is leading a false trail for us and that the entire time, he was impersonating Alastor Moody. The real Moody is still yet to be found and the imposter is yet to be unmasked. We need more evidence."

"Bloody hell," said Sirius, stumbling up to his feet and rushing over to Remus and his messy dining table. "So Crouch is Moody the entire time?"

"That's what Nymphadora and I have concluded. We were going to tell everyone this but you and Silvia were fighting, Lexi isn't home, and others…well we need more evidence to convince them. Perhaps a look into the potion Moody has in his hipflask would be enough evidence," Remus mumbled, thinking to himself. "Yes, that sounds plausible."

"Wait, so why isn't dear Nymphadora helping you with this?"

"She's tired. Let her sleep."

Sirius shook his head. "Now this is love, right here."

"I can't stand seeing her so troubled. After she found out her mentor is probably locked up and tortured somewhere, he mood had plummeted for the worse. I want to see her happy, carefree, and smiling again, Sirius. And this is all I can do."

"If you want to see her happy; why not give her a child?" Sirius teased darkly. "All women seem to want children."

Remus glared at his best friend, his gentle eyes reproachful. Sirius caught a glimpse into them and was shocked. He silenced immediately, knowing that it was no joking matter to Remus, speaking about love and family like that.

"Bugger, I've just turned the topic back to me, haven't I?"

Without looking at him, Remus continued to straighten out the papers while saying, "If you're lucky enough to be given the opportunity to become a father, take hold of it immediately. Otherwise," Remus looked up and briefly met with Sirius' eyes for a fleeting moment. "You'll only regret it later when loneliness catches up to you." He paused. "Like I once told you—good things only come around once. Wait and you will lose it."

* * *

><p>The chilly morning mist had arrived, settled, and vanished. Broken rays of sunlight cascaded the paved streets and grey sidewalks, penetrating through lofty, shifting clouds. A stray beam of gold fell upon her window, nearly blinding her as he woke her quite unexpectedly. Yawning and moaning, Nymphadora Tonks, blue hair and bedraggled, rolled onto her side. She wasn't surprised when her face fell into the bare chest of a lanky man lying beside her. A small smile twisted her lips as she shifted closer against his warm body, pushing back tousled blue hair out of the way. He shifted beside her and she could hear the vibration of a gentle laugh through his bare chest.<p>

"You'll catch a cold," she said, hoarse and raspy from the night. "Button up, dear, the moon is rising fast."

"Never mind me," Remus replied in a low but gentle voice as his arm wrapped around her body and he pulled her closer. "Are you feeling any better after your nap?"

"Yes and ready to work," she answered. "We can talk to Sirius later. I want to go see Dumbledore—an idea that came to mind while sleeping."

"I already spoke with Sirius."

Tonks looked up, rubbing her eyes as her nose collided against his chin. "How late did you stay up?" she questioned.

"Not that late," he answered.

"Remus."

"Alright," he sighed, sitting up and showing to her that he was wide awake. "I was forced to watch the sunrise with Padfoot."

"For god's sake Remus, go to sleep then!"

"Now that you're awake, I don't see the point in _me_ going to sleep."

Her eyes narrowed upon him. "You frustrate me," she sighed.

"Reckon you're mood hasn't improved then, has it, love?"

"What do you mean? After sleeping, it's improved a great deal."

"Where's that carefree grin, that silly and mischievous glint in your eyes, and that bounce in your step?" Remus questioned.

She managed a small laugh. "Remus, I'm not walking, I can't bounce. Anyways, if I try I might trip and fall."

He shook his head. Remus had grown to know Tonks too well. "Be honest with me," he said, straightening her uncombed hair. "What will it take for you to be like that again?"

"In earnest…a lot actually," she replied.

"Where can I start?"

"You don't have to."

"I want to. You already do so much for me. Give _me_ a chance, Nymphadora."

Shaking her head, Tonks said, "Why don't you take me to the moon?" she teased.

Remus was quiet for a moment, thinking about the impossible nature of the request, and then smiled. "Alright, follow me."

"Blimey Remus, I was just joking!"

"I have an idea!" said Remus, jumping off the bed and lifting Tonks up with ease.

It was amazing that while the full moon was rising so soon, Remus still had the energy to lift Tonks up and carry her out of her bed, her flat, and ascend several flights of stairs. Tonks remained very still as he climbed the steps, perhaps nervous as to whether Remus would be able to keep hold of her or not. When they arrived upon the roof, Remus could hear her let out an audible sigh. She looked around as he set her down gently upon the windy rooftop where the sun was shining brightly over the city horizon.

"Remus I was only joking," she said.

"Give me a chance to cheer you up here, love," he smiled, cupping his hands around her eyes and blackening her world. She did not see the sun or the tiniest speck of light through his tightly closed fingers. A smile grazed her lips as she wondered why he was so spontaneously mysterious. All was silent. Tonks could only hear the rumble from the streets below and the sound of the wind rushing by.

"What are you trying to do?" she asked.

"Hush," he said. He had a Marauder-like smirk upon his face but she did not see it. Remus turned her so that she was facing the rising sun but he made sure no speck of light came through to her eyes hidden behind his hands. He shifted so that the point of his shoes touched the sole of her feet. "Step on my feet."

"Um, alright," said Tonks, wondering what Remus was doing.

"_Levicorpus_," he said and suddenly, Tonks felt as if she was hoisted into the air by her ankle. The pull was gentle by the feeling was strange. She knew she was floating but soon she was unable to tell which way was up, down, left, or right. Remus' hands were still covering her eyes and she could feel him behind her.

"What is this?" she asked, curiosity devouring her.

"Shh," he whispered. "We're on the moon." He dropped his head onto her shoulder and she could feel him smiling against her for a moment before he looked up again. "Close your eyes," he told her.

"Alright," she said slowly and she closed her eyes.

Slowly, Remus loosened his fingers and allowed the brilliant sunlight to shine through the gaps of his fingers onto her closed eyelids. Tonks smiled as she felt the soothing warmth of the sunlight upon her. With her eyes closed and that strange feeling of not being able to tell which is up or down, she felt like she was looking at the sun in a place far away from Earth.

"Do you feel that light?" he asked gently. "That's the sun. When you're standing on the moon, you can see the sun a thousand times closer but not to the point where you'd be burned to ashes," he chuckled.

"Brilliant, Remus." He told her they were on the moon and for a fleeting moment, she believed him. Tonks knew he was doing something, but she didn't know what exactly it was.

"_Liberacorpus_," he muttered and gently, Tonks felt her body turning again and her feet touched the ground. "And now we're back on Earth." Remus let go of her slowly and Tonks opened her eyes to see the magnificent sun set against a baby blue sky overtop the city of London. She cannot deny that there was something impressive about that scene. She couldn't really put it into words. Tonks could only smile. "That's the best I could do," said Remus.

"I love you," said Tonks, turning around and jumping up to wrap her arms around his neck and hold onto him tightly.

His arms weaved themselves around her back and he pressed her tightly against his chest. "I love you too," he said, smiling against the nape of her neck and breathing in her never-fading scent of lavender and chamomile. Inhaling deeper, he recalled that scent he'd always registered her with. She smelled like new parchment and fresh ink. "Feeling better?" he asked.

"Definitely," she grinned. Tonks' eyes were closed and she was lost in him. His scent was one she could never forget. Remus always smelled like chocolate and how could Tonks not love that. In that mix, there was also a homely tint of old parchment and dried ink. She loves his scent. "Thank you."

"Shall we go see Dumbledore now?" he asked, not forgetting what she said earlier. "Before you have to go off to work? I'll send him a quick owl."

"Of course," she nodded against his shoulder.

* * *

><p>They were lucky that when they arrived at Hogwarts, the students were still gathered in the Great Hall having breakfast and a loudly grumbling Argus Filch had let them into the castle. Remus and Tonks quickly made their way to the third floor, turning onto a separate corridor as they headed towards the Headmaster's tower. Upon arriving at the large and ugly stone gargoyle that guarded the passage, Tonks felt a feeling of déjà vu hit her. She'd been to the Headmaster's office many times before; blame it on her talent for mischief during her school years.<p>

"Do you remember what the password is because I forgot," said Tonks.

Remus bit his lips and tried to remember what Dumbledore had told them in his brief response letter earlier that morning. "Chocolate frogs," said Remus.

"The Headmaster has visitors," the gargoyle said in a low, brooding voice. It still moved and revealed a set of spiral staircase to them which Remus and Tonks climbed quickly.

"We can't be the visitors that gargoyle's talking about, can we?" Tonks asked.

"I think there are others there," said Remus. "We should knock."

Arriving upon the top of the narrow spiral staircase, Remus and Tonks stopped in front of an old wooden door sitting ajar. A small crack of the room inside could be seen and just as Remus raised a hand up to knock, Tonks held his hand back and shook her head. Without speaking, she held a finger up to her lips and stood quietly, listening to the conversation inside. They heard Dumbledore's mellow voice and, leaning a bit closer they heard two more people inside. The conversation was now something Tonks really wanted to here.

"There is _nothing_ we can do," a man stressed, his voice more than familiar to Tonks. "If the Daily Prophet knows, the Ministry would be in trouble!"

"Do you honestly think it wise to cover up the disappearance of a man, Cornelius?" Dumbledore asked in a leveled voice.

"He's been acting strange for months. His age must be catching up with him. Give it a few more weeks," Fudge snapped.

"A few more weeks and you might as well look for his corpse," a third voice, hoarse and croaky, said. It was Moody's voice.

"I would like to continue my conversation with Dumbledore in _private_, Alastor," Fudge hissed. "You've been given an assignment—"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, _Minister_, but as it seems I am no longer working under you, you cannot order me as you see fit. Albus, I'll be leaving then."

There was a brief pause before Dumbledore said, "Do what I asked and quickly Alastor, please. You know where it is placed. Take the cup and place it anywhere you see fit then set up the maze. The hedges need to be grown and well over our heads by June and the creatures need to be put in place. I trust you'll be able to handle this task?"

Tonks turned to Remus with bemusement in her eyes. "Cup?" she mouthed silently.

He could only shrug for even Remus did not know what exactly they were talking about.

"Of course, Albus," Moody growled. "And as you may know, your conversation is no longer private." The door suddenly burst open and Remus and Tonks' surprised faces met with Dumbledore's, Fudge's, and the fake Moody's.

"Ah yes, I'd nearly forgotten I was expected Professor Lupin and Miss Tonks this morning," Dumbledore smiled pleasantly from behind his half-moon spectacles, his expression completely opposing Fudge's skeptical gaze.

"Miss Tonks?" Fudge asked just as Moody roughly shuffled past Remus and Tonks without any sort of acknowledgment.

"Good morning, Minister," Tonks replied, walking in with Remus at her side.

"I'm afraid we will have to end our meeting, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, standing up.

"Good day to you, Dumbledore," the Minister replied rigidly, seeing himself to the door.

"Think about what I told you," Dumbledore called after the man in a dark, pinstriped suit and wearing a green bowler hat. After Fudge had left and the door closed behind him, Dumbledore's twinkling eyes turned to look at the couple as he leaned back on his desk. "Remus, Miss Tonks, what did you need to speak with me about so urgently? The letter did not specify much."

Entering Dumbledore's office, Tonks took a moment to reminisce the many times she'd been in here. It'd always looked the same. The room was large and circular with many windows spilling sunlight into the room. Possibly a hundred or more portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses hung on the walls, muttering to themselves upon the visitors. The majority of the floor played host to a number of spindly tables upon which sat delicate-looking silver instruments whirring and emitting puffs of smoke. The rest of the space was occupied by Dumbledore's private and massive library along with a tall wardrobe-like piece of furniture that Remus always suspected was home to a Pensieve.

"We're here to speak with you about Alastor Moody, Professor Dumbledore," Remus began, speaking in a cordial voice.

"Please, just Albus now, Remus," Dumbledore smiled. "What about Alastor?"

Impatient, Tonks stepped forward and said, "We think that the Alastor Moody in your company may be an imposter."

"An imposter?" Dumbledore asked, sounded bewildered. Even the great wizard himself was fooled by Barty Crouch Jr. "That is a very broad claim, Miss Tonks—"

"We've been trying to convince the Ministry of this for months!" stressed Tonks.

"I'm afraid I'll have to agree with the Ministry on this one," said Dumbledore, the smile wiped from his kind old face. "Accusing someone with a foundation of trust such as Alastor's as being an imposter, you would need very solid evidence."

"To _attain_ solid evidence, Professor, we'd need a look into Moody's office."

"We think that he may be manipulating the use of Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Alastor," Remus further explained.

Dumbledore's lips were upturned and now looked more like a frown. He straightened up and tapped his temple in thought before saying, "Now that you mention it, Severus has been telling me someone was stealing from his personal stores again. He'd concluded the ingredients taken were ones used to brew Polyjuice Potion. I only thought it were several students, meddling around…." His eyes suddenly twinkled and Remus had a feeling Dumbledore had thought of Harry and his two best friends.

"He must have used Snape's ingredients after we arrested Rosier," said Tonks.

Remus took a step forward. "We've spoken with Harry often, Albus. I assure you the boy is not using Polyjuice Potion for anything."

"And I believe you, Remus, Miss Tonks." He paused for a moment, pacing quickly in front of them as thoughts ran through his mind. "Can I ask you who you think may be trying to impersonate Alastor and what their motive is?"

"We're quite certain it's Barty Crouch Jr. who is impersonating him," said Tonks.

"The motive, we haven't concluded but I'm sure you can venture a guess," Remus added.

Dumbledore's expression turned grim and he walked quickly towards Remus and Tonks. "Funny how irony works," he said. "Strange you should mention it now. Minutes ago, the Minister for Magic and I were just discussing the disappearance of Bartemius Crouch Sr."

"Mr. Crouch disappeared?" Tonks asked, shocked. "But…wait, no! He's at his house!"

"Young Percy Weasley upon whom Mr. Crouch had been acting through has reported that he was no longer receiving letters from Mr. Crouch. When Ministry officials entered his house to search, a great force pushed them back out and the house remains locked. This happened just recently."

"Like when we went to visit him?" Tonks turned to Remus and asked.

He nodded then turned back to Dumbledore. "Professor, were you told that Mr. Crouch was suspected to be acting under the Imperius Curse?"

"Cornelius has told me of that, yes. Now with the missing piece that Barty's own son may be involved, I am growing more and more worried. But Alastor…" Dumbledore paused. "Nothing is different about him."

"There are minor differences about him, professor," Tonks assured the great wizard. "If you allow us the opportunity, we can prove it to you."

"What exactly do you need help with?" Dumbledore asked kindly but worriedly.

Remus looked at Tonks then back to Dumbledore. "I suspect that he may be using the hipflask Alastor always uses to store Polyjuice Potion. If you check in there, that can be used as evidence. What's most important right now is that we find the real Alastor Moody."

"Perhaps if you are to look in his quarters, you will find some clues?" Dumbledore suggested. "Remus, Nymphadora, I trust that the two of you will be able to bring fast results. This is of crucial matter especially with an escaped Death Eater involved."

Tonks cringed but she said nothing when Dumbledore used her first name which she held so much contempt towards. "We will, professor," she assured.

"Shall we go now?" Remus questioned, asking for permission.

"I'm afraid there is another hold back to your plan," said Dumbledore. "For the accused Alastor Moody is probably in his office right now, working on putting together the final task of the Triwizard Tournament."

"Do you suggest we come back another time?" Remus asked.

"But how will we know Moody won't be in his office when we come back?"

"You have help inside Hogwarts," Dumbledore answered with a wink. "Utilize it."

"We can't let Filch know when we're coming," Tonks mused aloud. "His incessant grumbling could be heard down the corridor! Is there another way into Hogwarts, professor?"

"I don't think as headmaster I'm allowed to tell you of a way to sneak into my school, but I am quite sure Remus already has an answer for you, Nymphadora," he smiled and winked to Remus who looked partially reminiscent.

"We'll be returning shortly, Albus," said Remus firmly.


	31. Constant Vigilance

**Author's Note:**

I'm speeding things up because it's almost the end! And in response to what most of last chapter's reviews have asked (oh I miss responding to every one of them individually, you all are so special to me, but i tend to ramble so the word count skyrockets...) anyways, I am planning on writing a sequel to this story...actually, I lied. I already finished the last chapter of this story and I'm well into the next story so I will post that one soon! I hope to have your continuous support and thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter. And I miss Mad-Eye (the real, _constant vigilance_ one), just saying. xD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 31 – Constant Vigilance<strong>

The aromatic and alluring vapors ascending from the steaming cups of tea were rather distracting to Tonks who was not only tired and sleepy but also craving something warm in her stomach. She leaned her head on Remus' shoulder who was listening aptly to the conversation at hand. Tonks was so tempted to pick up the warm cup of tea and down it all in one large gulp but she knew that if she did so she would be too befuddled by the tea to hear anything of the very important conversation they were having. Yawning, Tonks miserably forced her sleepy eyes back to Sirius who was now talking, sitting across the small living room and pausing frequently to sip his own cup of tea as if mocking her.

"So in conclusion, does Dumbledore believe you or not?" Sirius demanded.

"I think he is unsure himself," Remus spoke up, his voice gentle. "He wants more proof from us, like everyone else. And I think he's rather worried if Moody is impersonated. By the conversation we overheard, he seemed to have assigned this fake Moody some sort of task that is very crucial to the Triwizard Tournament I think."

"What task?" Alexis asked from her seat beside the chimney where a warm blazing fire with orange flames danced under the mantelpiece. "What task did he—"

"That's not important right now," Sirius cut her off. "We need to find the whereabouts of the real Mad-Eye Moody and Dumbledore suggested that you start by looking in the Defense Against the Dark Arts office?" Remus nodded and Sirius continued. "Then you must get into the castle; find a distraction that gets Moody out of his office long enough for you to snoop around."

"Yes but where are we going to get a distraction?" Tonks asked, her voice sounding more like a moan than a proper question.

"Dumbledore said we have help _inside_ the castle," said Remus.

"How about help from the staff? McGonagall might help us if we've got a legitimate reason," said Sirius. "Or perhaps Filius Flitwick—he was always well-liked in my books."

"Help from the staff is highly unlikely," said Tonks. "We don't want Moody knowing we'll be searching his office. If there's one thing I learned from all the detentions I've had with each and every teacher, it's that teachers gossip too."

"Alright, ask some of the students then?" Sirius asked.

"Fred and George!" Alexis suggested. "They're misbehaving hellions. Surely they can whip up some sort of distraction that will hold Moody out of his office long enough for you two to search it thoroughly."

"We need distractions, not utter chaos," Sirius retorted. "The boys, as clever and brilliant as they are, still they're pure chaos. You can't deny it."

"You can tell them to tone it down a slight bit," said Alexis.

"But we need a lot of time for Remus and Tonks to search the office and possibly by extension, the classroom. To get the Weasley Twins to distract Moody for that long, they'd have to wreak utter havoc upon the school if not wage war against all the statues and paintings!"

Alexis nodded; her eyes pensive. "Alright, we won't ask Fred and George for help then."

"Don't forget we still know others currently attending Hogwarts," Remus reminded.

"You're not suggesting we drag Harry into this," said Tonks, sitting up.

"No wait," said Sirius, shifting to the edge of his seat. "Harry may be of more help to us."

"And he's got Ron and Hermione to help him," Remus added.

"Correct," Sirius continued. "Besides, from what Harry's told me, this Moody, whoever he is, seems to really value Harry. If Harry stirs up some sort of distraction, say he needs help with the final task for example; Moody would be very likely to help him. That can take up loads of time away from his office, giving you two the time you need to search it! It's brilliant!"

"Oi, now you're both forgetting that Barty Crouch Jr. may be the one impersonating Moody. What if he hurts Harry?"

"He won't hurt Harry under Dumbledore's nose," said Sirius.

"You're giving your godson too much credit, Sirius," Alexis jumped in. "He's a fourteen-year-old boy. What if Crouch _does_ try to hurt Harry?"

Remus had grown silent but Sirius continued on. "We can make sure he's under teacher supervision," said Sirius.

"We can't make McGonagall trail him the entire time," Tonks pointed out. "You said it yourself Sirius. Hogwarts is not safe anymore with people like Igor Karkaroff running around."

The room lapsed into sudden silence. For a long time, no one spoke. Their minds were overflowing with thoughts, wondering about the sudden resurfacing of all these strange things happening that in one way or another relate back to the topic of Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort. When the silence became too much, Tonks looked around and spoke up.

"We should find another method."

"No," Remus sighed. "I think this may be the only one we have…at least it's the fastest way and with the real Alastor Moody's whereabouts unknown, you said it yourself Nymphadora, we can't afford to waste anymore time."

"You're just searching for clues," said Sirius. "I'll be sure to tell Harry to keep himself out of trouble…like always."

Tonks sighed. "Lexi?"

The raven-haired young woman shrugged and leaned back against the wall. "It's not my decision to make," she said.

Another sigh escaped Tonks' breath and she nodded. "We'll give it a go," she said, feeling quite guilty that she could possibly be dragging Harry and his friends into trouble well over their heads. "But," she added. "Sirius, make sure you tell him to keep out of harm's way."

_Harry,  
><em>_Remember that two-way mirror I sent to you as a Christmas present several months ago? Find it and take it out. Say my name to it. We need to talk, now. I have a favor to ask. Please. Hope you're doing well.  
><em>_Padfoot._

Sirius attached the quickly scrawled letter onto the leg of a particularly jumpy owl of Tonks' and let the bird fly out from his living room window. Watching the bird soar for a moment, he only pulled back and closed the window when the tiny speck of the majestic creature disappeared from the indigo sky specked with tiny blinking stars. He wondered how long it would be until he heard from his godson again. Surely owl post would be quick.

"Did you send the letter?" Tonks asked, moving from the sofa in the living room over to the kitchen counter where she joined Remus for a cup of tea and shared a bar of chocolate.

"Yeah," Sirius replied. "The fastest we can hear back from him is probably later tonight."

"Hopefully some time tonight," said Tonks. "We need to make a proper plan soon." Her green eyes found Remus' blue ones. "The full moon is rising in only a few days."

"I'll be fine," Remus assured her with a gentle smile but she seemed unconvinced.

"I'd rather we get this over with quickly," said Tonks. "The moon waxes as you wane."

"For now, Remus will be fine Tonksie," Alexis assured her cousin. Her dark brown almost black eyes then turned to Sirius. "So now we wait."

He nodded quickly. "Now we wait." Sirius sighed and bit his lips for a moment before he suddenly decided to act upon an idea that has been on his mind since morning. It was very sudden and in all honesty, spontaneous, but Sirius was sure of himself that time. If there was only one instance in his life where Sirius was entirely sure of himself, it was that time. He looked up and beckoned Alexis over as if hailing a young child. "Lexi, come here."

She gave him a quizzical look but still lifted herself up and walked over to him, leaning against the dark window and looking out at the darkening sky. "What?" she asked.

Suddenly becoming nervous, Sirius wringed his hands and stuttered slightly. "Um, Lexi, can-can you do me a small favor?"

Alexis raised an eyebrow, wondering what has overcome her cousin. "Depends."

Sirius licked his lips. "As soon as possible-tomorrow…if you can, can you err…can you get Silvia to come meet me at the Three Broomsticks, probably around dinner time?"

"You know she's still furious at you," Alexis told him, crossing her arms and wondering why the usually bold and boisterous Sirius Black was so bashful.

"Yes, I know, but I want a conversation with her."

"About what, exactly?"

"About…you know…the baby inside her and-and…um…taking responsibility…."

A smirk twisted across Alexis' full red lips. The smirk quickly turned into a grin as she looked at her incredibly uncomfortable cousin. "Alright," she said. "I'll get Silvia to come."

"Thank you," Sirius beamed. "Lexi, I will owe you one for this."

"You'll regret that," she teased him. "But honestly, why can't you get Tonks to do it? She's just as close to Silvia as I am and she sees Silvia more frequently tomorrow at work!"

"I don't really want to be the cruel bloke that interrupts a Remus and Tonks moment."

Alexis rolled her eyes at him. "Brilliant. So you ask for _my_ help because I'm the lonelier looking one. I love you too cousin."

"No, wait," Sirius laughed, chasing after Alexis who was walking away.

As Sirius ran after Alexis, the small mirror hanging on the wall beside Alexis' massive and overfilled bookshelf suddenly called out Sirius' name. All attention turned to the small rectangular mirror and everyone besides Sirius and Remus were surprised. Tonks' face was distorted by bewilderment and Alexis, as she figured out what the mirror was, grew red and looked as if she was utterly embarrassed.

"Sirius!" Harry called, his face appearing in the mirror and he was looking around at all of them. Harry's features were very clear and very visible. It looked as if he was there, on the other side of the wall and simply glimpsing them through a small window.

"Hello Harry," Sirius grinned, rushing over to the mirror.

"Wotcher," said Tonks, still fixated bemusedly upon the mirror. "Wait a minute. Is this the infamous two-way mirror Remus told me you Marauders used?"

"Yes," Sirius grinned and waved for them to come over.

"Oh my god…I check myself out with that mirror!" Tonks exclaimed.

"So-so the mirror has been looking into the living room the entire time?" Alexis asked.

"I guess so. I mean, I can see everyone and everything," said Harry who seemed to be fighting for hold of the mirror on the other side with Ron. "No, give it Ron."

"Harry _move_ over!" Ron huffed.

Ron's face, freckled and red-haired, suddenly showed up in the mirror. He looked amazed and was grinning as he waved to them. "This is brilliant!"

"Oh bloody hell," Alexis said suddenly, still pondering upon the fact that Harry could have seen everything that was going on in the living room at any given time. "I will never feel comfortable in my own living room again."

"What do you and Marrick do in the living room?" Sirius questioned but he was pushed aside by Tonks who said, "Harry, we have a _huge_ favor to ask of you."

"What can I do?" Harry asked and smiled with an eager-to-help expression on his face.

* * *

><p>The following day ran its course much too slowly for Nymphadora Tonks. She spent most of her day lazing around her small and cluttered cubicle, waiting for when the clock struck six. Once the clock tower in the distance of London charmed, she couldn't be glad enough. She was the first auror to get to the Atrium and throwing shimmering floo powder faster than she ever had before, vanished in a sea of green flames to arrive clumsily at The Three Broomsticks where Remus sat waiting.<p>

From there the couple dodged a sociable Madam Rosmerta who always pulled them back for trifling conversations and treaded their way up the familiar path to the Shrieking Shack. The swaying and dilapidated shack sat quietly nestled in the shadows of the coming night. The front door, old and creaky, sat ajar as if waiting for them. Remus and Tonks entered but unlike most times before, they did not head up to the dusty and nearly destroyed living room. Instead, they made their way down to a small door that led to a dank and narrow dirt path underground.

"I should have realized we'd be using this entrance," said Tonks in a whisper as if the earthy walls had ears.

"There are many others we could use but for some strange reason I always prefer this one," said Remus. "We'll have to search for the knot under the Whomping Willow to immobilize it though," he added. "I've forgotten its exact location."

"No need," said Tonks. "I thought it may come in handy so I asked Lexi for her Ghost Necklace. She fixed it!" Tonks grinned and straightened herself in excitement only to hit her head against the low ceiling of the passage.

"Careful," said Remus, rubbing the top of her head as they traipsed on forward. "We can put it on when we get to the Whomping Willow. Then we are to meet Harry in front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom."

"How do you suppose they got Crouch to leave, anyways?" Tonks asked.

"I'm not quite sure," Remus answered and stopped as they reached light. He smiled as he patted around at the root of the unforgettable moving and lethal tree.

As Tonks slipped the chain of the thick silver necklace around Remus and herself, she said, "These inventions from Level Nine are amazingly useful."

"Of course—Lexi's brilliant," Remus said and he and Tonks began climbing up through the small opening under the Whomping Willow. It was quite difficult with two people and the necklace being unable to stretch far but they still managed to roll themselves onto the soft grass without even triggering the attention of the magical tree—if there even was any attention at all.

"Off we go then," said Tonks. "Are you sure you're alright? The moon is nearly full."

"There's really no turning back now," Remus sighed. "And yes, my love, I am fine."

Still unbelieving, Tonks shook her head and pulled Remus closer to herself as if to protect him. Together, they walked up the long and sloping lawns of Hogwarts grounds to the West Wing entrance of the castle. Tonks then followed Remus as he bent down very low to the ground as if creeping like a sly fox, searching for something. Under the darkening light of the violet sky over head, Tonks could see Remus' blue eyes glint with satisfaction. He found what he was looking for and it seemed to be a large stone tile concealed below three-foot-long blades of grass. Remus took her hand and stepped onto the stone tile, grinning.

"I remember when we first discovered this entrance," he said, reminiscent.

"Entrance?" Tonks asked.

"Shh," he hushed gently. "Don't scream," he told her, tenderly placing the palm of his hands over her mouth and shifting so that he stood behind her.

Looking around and wondering if they were going to teleport in, Tonks was taken completely by surprise as the stone tile seemed to have vanished. The next thing she knew, she was falling. Tonks thought she really should have been used to the thought of falling by now but unfortunately even after many years of tripping up and down, Tonks still couldn't help but utter a squeal. She suddenly collided with the ground and only when Tonks opened her eyes again did she realize they'd fallen onto their buttocks into the cold and dank dungeons of Hogwarts.

"What in the world," she began.

"One of the entrances I remember as a Marauder," Remus smiled. "Merlin, did you think we were going to apparate or teleport in?"

Tonks scoffed. "No," she lied. She was really considering reading _Hogwarts, A History_, the apparently excellent book that Hermione always went on about—there were just too many secrets, too many aspects about Hogwarts that remain undiscovered.

Before long, Remus and Tonks had made their way from the dungeon up to the third floor corridor where the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom sat, thanks to Remus' extraordinary memory of the Marauder's Map and the convenience of the Ghost Necklace (though it couldn't get in and out of Hogwarts, it still was able to go through the walls when inside the castle).

"Wotcher Harry," Tonks greeted, surprising the boy as she and Remus took off the necklace and Tonks placed it safely into her back pocket.

Harry jumped but beamed at them. "Remus, Tonks," he smiled. "We did as you asked—Moody's out of his classroom. Why are you searching his office again?"

"Shh," Tonks hushed him and pulled him into the classroom. "We think he's an imposter," she whispered. "Are you sure he'll be away for a fair amount of time."

"Yeah, of course," he answered.

"Harry, how _did_ you get Moody to leave his office anyways?" Remus inquired.

"Oh Hermione's got that handled," he smiled. "She needed to ask him some questions about the lessons anyways and they're in the library. She's very persistent and she has plenty of questions so we have a lot of time. Ron's there as well so he can hold him back a bit."

"Brilliant, thank you Harry," Remus smiled. "You're so much like your father. But now, I need you to be more like your mother for a bit and keep out of trouble for me. Go back to the common room and—"

"But I thought I was helping," Harry cut in.

"You _have_ helped, Harry," Tonks told him. "You got Moody away for us."

"Tonks, Remus, if someone's impersonating a professor at Hogwarts I want to find out why," he said firmly. "Let me help you. Besides, I've been in there before. I can help you!" Harry implored, his shockingly green eyes, identical to his mother's, twinkled as he pleaded.

Remus and Tonks exchanged looks but sighed and nodded. "Fine," they said in unison. "But don't touch anything questionable," Remus added as they quickly made their way through the familiar classroom and its rows of old wooden desks and up the stone staircase to the private quarters overlooking the classroom.

* * *

><p>Night was falling quickly and the uneventful and mundane day had Alexis dragging herself to the Three Broomsticks Inn, hoping to overhear some deranged and silly gossip or run into Fred and George Weasley who are bound to bring her some laughs. She would have spent time with her boyfriend but Alexis couldn't imagine herself sitting with Marrick in his neat and orderly cubicle for several more hours as he finished his overflowing pile of work.<p>

Upon entering the warm and rowdy atmosphere of the Three Broomsticks, Alexis had suddenly remembered something. Earlier that day she'd spent nearly an hour convincing good friend Silvia White to meet her unpredictable cousin Sirius Black there for dinner. She'd completely forgotten they too would be in the Three Broomsticks. Standing just inside the door, Alexis spent a moment debating whether or not she should stay or head to some other place for food and drink. Something overcame her and she shrugged as she walked deeper into the busy restaurant. She had a craving for Madam Rosmerta's warm and mouth-watering Deep-dish Apple Pie and some delicious firewhiskey. Alexis sat down at a table near the middle of the restaurant, her eyes fixated on the large wall mirror hanging behind the front counter that reflected the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. There she could see Sirius and Silvia very clearly and they were having a severely awkward conversation. Uncaring, Alexis settled herself down—she wouldn't mind watching a show and besides, if by some chance things went wrong, she'd be able to stop the now easily-angered auror from stunning her cousin…again.

"Lexi, aren't you looking for your friend Silvia? I just saw her moments ago," Madam Rosmerta said as she brought Alexis her usual glass of burning red firewhiskey.

"No, I'm good here, thanks," Alexis smiled. "And can I get some apple pie?"

Rosmerta smiled and said, "Of course." She'd long come to memorize the preferences of her customers, especially ones like Alexis Black whom she'd known for years.

"Lexi!"

"Fancy seeing you here!"

"Shh!" Alexis hushed rapidly, standing up and gripping Fred and George by the front of their shirts and pulled them down so roughly they nearly fell onto each other. She let go of the boys only when they were seated across from her. "Blimey, nip it Weasleys," she sighed.

"What are you up to?" George asked, leaning across the table and smirking at her.

Fred deeply inhaled the air for a moment. "Is that mischief I smell?" he teased.

Alexis shook her head. "No," she answered. "Incidentally I've found myself at the Three Broomsticks again. It just so happens that tonight, Sirius and Silvia are here as well and I kind of decided to sit back and wait for a show."

"Ah, are you hoping they fight again like last time they're in Hogsmeade?" Fred asked.

"Nah, that's just cruel," she teased him. "I just know Sirius is up to something and I'm curious to find out what."

"Can we watch the show too?" George asked. He was grinning with wide, pleading eyes.

"Whatever pleases you," she said, smiling and shaking her head.

"What's a show without dialogue?" Fred was pulling out what looked like a bundle of flesh colored strings from his pocket. "It's more interesting to hear what they're saying, no?"

"What is that?" she questioned.

"Extendable ears," George grinned. "We've just perfected them last week."

Alexis smiled and leaned across the table to listen with the twins. "All right, give it a go."

* * *

><p>Upon entering Moody's private office, neither Remus nor Tonks were surprised by the massive arrangement of foe-glass the man had within the room. Harry, though had been in there before, still found the man's paranoia to be strange and peculiar. According to Tonks however, obsessive paranoia was a normal trait of Alastor Moody. Standing still to take in the entire room, Tonks decided to split it up into three areas, working with Remus and Harry to find any sort of clues that could be of help to them. It took several minutes until Harry suddenly called out.<p>

"Found it!" the boy smiled.

Remus looked up from behind the wooden desk and Tonks' head poked out from behind the heavy bookshelf she'd shifted. "What'd you find, Harry?" Remus asked as Tonks' eyes found the boy with unruly black hair beside a large counter full of papers and boxes.

"Polyjuice Potion," Harry grinned, bringing the large wooden box of potion ingredients up to them. "Bet that's what you're looking for, isn't it?"

Tonks ran over, tripping over the foot of the bookshelf and ungracefully collapsed into Remus' arms. Luckily he caught her and did not fall himself. They made their way over to Harry across the room and gazed into the old and worn wooden box. There they found jars and vials of ingredients to make Polyjuice Potion and a cauldron half filled with the draught itself.

"Brilliant!" Tonks grinned. "I reckon this is enough proof. What would a completely trustworthy man be doing with Polyjuice Potion unless he's up to something?"

"Maybe we should have a second look over for any more clues," Remus suggested. "We won't have a chance in here again."

"Right," Tonks nodded.

"Harry, you stay here and hold onto this while Nymphadora and I look around."

"Remus, don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks scolded suddenly. "Bugger now everyone's going to think it's alright to say the bloody N-word," she sighed.

"Just stay here, Harry," Remus smiled and shook his head.

Harry nodded obediently and moved the wooden box over to the center of the room in clear view of both Remus and Tonks. He sat down and watched them as they continued to search. They seemed to have turned the room inside out twice over already but knowing Remus and Tonks' nature after staying with them that past summer, he knew not to rush them. He continued to sit and wait, watching as Tonks grunted and groaned pushing the heavy bookcase back and Remus banged his head on the bottle of the wooden desk.

"Something's missing," said Tonks, shuffling over to stand beside Harry as Remus began looking through a massive pile of spellbooks lying on the floor.

"What do you mean, love?" Remus asked, not looking up from the particularly large, black leather bound textbook he'd picked up.

She was twirling her long, sword-like wand in her curly blonde hair as she looked around the office as if looking for something in particular. "Moody has a foe-glass…then there's the spellbooks," said Tonks, pacing around and pointing to the individual items. Harry, sitting on the floor, was slightly worried that the notoriously clumsy auror would trip and fall on him. "There's his Secrecy Sensor," Tonks continued, pointing with her wand over to the gold squiggly aerial-like item leaning against the wall on the far side of the room. She then turned sharply, shocking Harry who pushed himself out of the way and Tonks pointed to the large, bulky broomstick leaning against the windowsill. "And there's his broomstick."

"What do you think is missing?" Remus asked. He was bent over something, searching.

"Oi!" Tonks exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Where's his trunk?" she asked, pacing around faster than before, causing a worried Harry to jump up to his feet. "Moody had his massive trunk he takes with him everywhere he's staying at for a long time. I've seen him carry it on missions in the past!"

In her speech, she was walking over to Remus when Tonks suddenly tripped over the box of potion ingredients lying in the middle of the floor. Harry was glad he stood up just in time but felt horrible when Tonks, arms flailing in all directions, fell with a hard thud several feet short of where Remus was. Unfortunately, because of the moon's pull on his energy, Remus couldn't turn around to catch her fast enough.

"Bloody hell," Tonks groaned, pushing herself up. "Didn't think I'd fall arse-over-tit at a time like this," she muttered as Remus shifted to help her up.

"Are you all right?" he asked kindly. After Tonks nodded, Remus continued, "If you're looking for a trunk, I've been poking around at this one here," he said, pulling out a large metal trunk with seven locks set upon it in a vertical row. "Is this the one?"

Harry stepped forward. "That's the one I asked him about!" he exclaimed.

"What do you mean Harry?" Tonks asked, bending down and closely observing the front of the massive trunk.

"The very first time I came in here, this trunk suddenly shook and it sounded like something in it was growling," Harry explained. "I asked Moody, err, the man who is Moody, what's inside it and he didn't exactly tell me. He said I wouldn't believe it if he told me."

Remus and Tonks suddenly exchanged very grim expressions. Tonks fumbled with her wand and began to tap rapidly at the locks as if trying to open it. Remus sat beside her and Harry came over to follow them, watching curiously as red and white sparks flew from the tip of Tonks' wand as it collided with the metal locks upon the trunk.

"He _has_ to be hiding something in here," said Tonks.

"The seven layers, I've seen Alastor use it before. How are you going to look through all seven layers without Moody coming back?" Remus asked.

"If he comes back we'll just have to make a huge scene," said Tonks, biting her lips as she continued and grinned when she'd managed to open the first lock. Grinning because of her quick success, Tonks lifted open the trunk to reveal a mass of old and yellowing spellbooks. Before Harry or Remus could get a better glimpse into the trunk, she closed it again and began tapping the second lock on the vertical row. "If there's one thing I learned from Mad-Eye Moody in Auror Training," she said. "It's that there's always a way to open every lock."

* * *

><p>The gleaming silver moon was well into its ascension into the night sky. The pale face that overlooked the starry, starry night could be visible from the cold window beside them, its glass slightly frosted around the edges because of the cold nights of March. Sirius' grey eyes had been glued on a particular spot on the windowsill all night where a spider had crawled.<p>

Now the spider was long gone and Sirius was still staring at the same spot, his eyes swimming with words he could not put into proper speech. Across from him sat Silvia, frail and thinner than before but still darkly beautiful as usual, her dark beauty highlighted under the warm lights of the Three Broomsticks. She'd been sitting with Sirius through dinner that night and the majority of the time, neither of them spoke. Often they would turn and face each other, their lips slightly parted and looking as if they had something to say, but never would the words come out.

Sirius looked up, shifting in his position as his grey eyes met Silvia's caramel brown eyes. She didn't speak. She was waiting for him. Like the many times before when he tried to tell her what was on his mind, no words came out. Sirius ended up licking his lips and returned to staring at that one spot on the wooden windowsill again.

He blinked several times when he noticed that the same spider he'd seen earlier had returned to the very same spot he'd been staring at for a good part of that very silent, very awkward dinner. Sirius discreetly rubbed his eyes when a second spider appeared. Watching the two for a while, he realized the two spiders were weaving a web, together. It wasn't normal in spiders' nature to share a web with another.

"That spider's back with a partner," Sirius accidentally said without preamble.

His sudden words caught Silvia's attention and she followed his eyes to the spot on the wooden windowsill where two spiders were weaving a web. "Guess so," she said softly.

Turning back to her, Sirius cleared his throat and sat up straight. "Sorry, I just-I don't really know what to talk about."

"Why'd you ask me to dinner then?" she asked. "I thought you have something to say."

"I _do_ have something to say," he said quickly. "I just don't know what to talk about to lead into what I have to say."

She shook her head and Sirius could have sworn he saw a fleeting smile appear. "It's not in Sirius Orion Black's nature to beat around the bushes," she said softly, her Spanish accent lacing her words and gripping his attention. "If you've got something to say then don't hesitate. Spit it out," she went on.

"All right," Sirius began, shifting in his seat again and swallowing hard. "I think we should talk about the baby…again…in a more civilized manner."

Silvia rolled her eyes and said, "Go on then."

"I want you to keep the child—"

"Haven't we already confirmed that?" she retorted, anger flickering into her eyes.

"Now hold on, don't get angry," he said, holding both hands up cautiously. "Let me go on," he said, drawing a deep breath as Silvia sat and listened with bated breath. "I want you to keep the child. As adults, this is our mistake we made, not the child's and he or she should not have to suffer because of whatever foolish decision we make."

"I know," Silvia said softly, looking down. Her anger had quickly shifted into woe.

"I am here because I want to discuss with you about what you plan to do for the child. I mean…" Sirius paused. "He or she is my child too you know. I was just wondering how you planned to sort this out, really."

Her lips twisted into a wry smile. "Why is it that every time you make a mistake, I'm always the foolish one fixing it for you?" she questioned, thinking back on their history.

Sirius looked down. It was true. Ever since he met her, every mistake he made whether it was in Potions Class or courting girls, Silvia was always the one who stood up to fix it for him. He owed her so much. Sirius shrugged and answered, "I really don't know," he replied. He wasn't going to admit to her that at one point in time, he'd confided in a particularly weary post-moon Remus under the warm sunlight of Gryffindor Tower that Silvia was his guardian angel.

"Well I actually thought I was just going to take this one step at a time," confessed Silvia, taking a small sip from her glass of butterbeer. "But if you want to talk about the future," she paused, thinking. "I was just going to take this child back to Spain with me. I have some relatives over there, cousins, aunts, and uncles, what not, that may be willing to help. I can ask for a job transfer and work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement over in Madrid."

"You want to go back to Spain?" Sirius questioned.

She shrugged, unsure herself. "I haven't got any family left over here, Sirius. My parents and brother were killed in the war…remember?" Sirius nodded silently. He didn't intend to make her think about the night her entire family was killed—the night Silvia came to his doorstep bloody and crying…. "I can't bother any of my friends—they've got their own problems to worry about. And I still need my job, how else am I supposed to support the kid?"

"I've got gold," Sirius said abruptly.

Her caramel eyes twinkled and she smiled. That time, her smile was softer and more genuine. "I think it'd be better to raise a kid away from the city," she went on, ignoring what he said about gold. "Maybe I can commute to work. We could live in the countryside…the La Mancha region would be a wonderful place—warm winds, lots of space for flowers and playing around," a wistful smile brightened her look.

"What do you want to have by your home?" he asked in a gentle voice, his grey eyes dilating as he looked at her and listened with rapt attention.

"Space," she smiled. "Lots of space; it's what I've always dreamed of—settling down in a little cottage by a little pond or stream…a small flowerbed in the front yard and some trees in the backyard." The dulcet tone of her voice captivated him and entranced him completely. She looked down and laughed a little, recalling the vision she'd always wished she'd have by her age.

"The child would be parted from his father by a whole body of water!" said Sirius.

Caramel eyes looked up with sadness strewn across her gaze. "You said it yourself, Sirius. You don't want a kid."

"Right," he nodded, chuckling humorlessly and staring at his empty glass of firewhiskey. "But your plan…going it all alone, on your own out there, won't you feel lonely?"

"I'm content with loneliness," she assured him. "Besides, I won't be alone anymore. I've got a kid now." Again she smiled wistfully at the thought of the child in her stomach.

Sirius sat back, grabbing the flagon of firewhiskey and pouring himself a generous glass. He accidentally tipped it over too much and filled his glass full instead of halfway. Leaning back and gazing at his mistake for a moment, he found it more fitting that way. He never really understood why one of the world's most delectable drinks could only be filled halfway as if teasing happiness.

"I've heard what you plan to do. Can you hear out _my_ proposition for the future?"

A flicker of interest appeared in her eyes and Silvia nodded. "Of course," she said in a barely audible voice.

_Good things only come around once. Wait and you will lose it._ Remus' words repeated itself in Sirius' mind before he spoke.

"Every word I'm about to say to you has been carefully mulled over by no one else but me so you can trust that I have thought through everything," he began. "An idiotic but undeniably wise bloke told me…if you're lucky enough to be given the opportunity to become a father, take hold of it. Otherwise, you'll only regret it later when loneliness catches up to you. Silvia, this child you're carrying, I _want_ to play out my role as a father, _properly_. And I'm not just talking about monthly visits to that vision of paradise you have over in Spain, no. I-I…" he paused, drew a long breath, and looked at her with ardent eyes. "I mean—if you want to of course—we could get a house together, a cottage, a nice little cottage by a little stream with lots of space for the birds to fly through and-and you can plant your flowers!" By that point, Silvia's jaw had dropped and she was staring at him in disbelief but Sirius only went on. He found it hard to stop when he was treading on a perfect vision of paradise. "Yeah, it'd be in a less populated place but near a town so when the kid gets old enough he could go to a muggle primary school—until he's old enough to go to Hogwarts of course. Or you and I could just teach him, either way works. When the weather is warm we could fly around outside, invite some people over to play Quidditch, everyone loves Quidditch. We'll have enough space and-and…_freedom_…."

She was at a lost for breath. Under the table, Silvia was wringing her hands so hard to assure herself that she was not dreaming. What was sitting before her eyes wasn't completely absurd however. She always knew that inside Sirius, he would enjoy that kind of lifestyle. Being trapped up in Azkaban for so long, he'd love a nice place with plenty of open space for him to run around. Then it slowly dawned upon her—this was reality and what Sirius said; the picture he'd just painted…could become reality as well.

"Sirius I—"

"Then, you know, us living together and all, if you want to of course, I mean you've had one terrible marriage, but err…we-_we_ could get married ourselves. We could be proper parents for the kid and in the summer when Harry comes over, we could be a proper family. Haven't you always dreamed of that?"

Staring at him, Silvia asked, "Sirius, did you just ask me to marry you?"

A sudden series of loud noises could be heard a fair distance away from them at another table in the restaurant. Sirius and Silvia didn't look up as they were too enveloped by the conversation at hand. It must have been someone falling over or knocking over a chair at most, in this case maybe a whole table. Either way, it didn't involve them and so Sirius and Silvia ignored the chaos that caused Madam Rosmerta to fuss and laugh at the same time.

"Yeah," Sirius said quietly. "What do you say?"

* * *

><p>More red and white sparks flew from the tip of Tonks' wand as she continued to tap the metal locks that lined Mad-Eye Moody's magical trunk. She was on the very last lock now after opening the last six compartments to find a wide array of tools Moody used in his days as an auror. This last lock was exceptionally noncompliant and it was taking Tonks a longer amount of time to open than any of the others. Hovering over her shoulder, Remus and Harry watched her with bated breaths, both wishing there was more they could do to help but unfortunately, neither of them had the slightest clue how to tap open Mad-Eye Moody's magical trunk.<p>

"How long do you think Hermione and Ron can keep that man in the library, Harry?" Remus asked after looking up and glancing at the clock that was well past seven.

"A while—as I said before, Hermione's got a lot of questions she can think of," he assured them but Harry himself was not quite sure. He didn't know how long they could keep Moody interested without giving it away that something was up.

"Is there a trick to opening Moody's locks, Nymphadora?" Remus queried.

"Don't. Call me. Nymphadora!" Tonks groaned. "_You_ can but not in front of Harry!"

"All right, sorry," he apologized and clapped her shoulder gently, beckoning her to return to her work with opening the locks.

"Don't worry Tonks. I wouldn't call you Nymphadora. I know you don't like it."

Tonks suddenly dropped her task and glared up at Harry, fuming in anger. Obviously Tonks really does not like the first name her mother had christened her with. "Harry James Potter," she growled in a low voice and gripping her wand tightly.

"Sorry," the young boy said quickly and took a step back. He only sighed in relief when Tonks shook her head and returned to her lock-picking. "So why would someone want to impersonate Moody?" Harry questioned, turning to Remus. "I mean if they want to kill me they would have done it already, wouldn't they?"

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's what they've been trying to do no doubt."

"What do you mean?"

"Right now at Hogwarts, we have two Death Eaters we are sure of. Igor Karkaroff and Barty Crouch Jr. Barty Crouch Jr. is the man we think is impersonating Alastor Moody this very minute," Remus explained. "Either one of them could have put your name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry. And they could have been hoping to make your death seem like an accident."

"Barty Crouch Jr.?" Harry questioned. "But on the Marauder's Map—"

"Speaking of which," Remus sighed, pulling out the yellowing folded up set of parchments of the old map from inside his coat pocket. "Misplaced something, did we?"

"Moody took it from me," Harry told him, gladly taking the map back and pulling his wand out. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The empty pages of the map began to seep with ink as if several invisible hands were held overtop, pouring words and lines onto the yellowed and aged parchment. Seconds later, the entirety of the Marauder's Map appeared and Remus couldn't resist a smug grin when he looked at his old creation. The beautiful map brought back beautiful memories, memories he would like to mull over at a different time to give justice to their value.

"Look, in the library," Harry said, pointing to the black set of footprints on the map pacing between two aisles of books in the heart of the library. There is said the name _Bartemius Crouch_ and it was pacing in between _Hermione Granger_ and _Ronald Weasley_. Remus and Harry were both glad to see the set of footprints continue its pacing, trusting the map entirely as the map will never lie. "It says Bartemius Crouch," said Harry.

"And you thought it was Mr. Crouch, the man who is supposed to be a judge to the Triwizard Tournament, didn't you?" Remus asked in a gentle voice and Harry nodded. "Harry, the one flaw about this map is that it does not differentiate between two people carrying the same name. This Barty Crouch here," Remus pointed to the unmoving speck, "Is the son of the Mr. Crouch you knew. This man," he tapped the speck again, "Is a Death Eater who has escaped Azkaban and is now pretending to be Alastor Moody."

"Where is the real Moody?" Harry asked innocently.

"We've yet to—"

Remus and Harry silenced immediately when they suddenly heard a click. Both sets of eyes looked down to see that Tonks had finally unlocked the final layer of Moody's magical trunk and she was now on the verge of opening it. Putting their conversation to a halt, Remus and Harry both hovered back over Tonks' shoulder, looking into the chest as she slowly lift open the top cover. When the trunk was fully opened and the light of the room spilled on into the large, ten-foot deep compartment inside, they all gasped.

"Mad-Eye!" Tonks exclaimed, dazed by her own disbelief.

They were looking into a very dark compartment where by the light of the room they saw an injured and disheveled man sit at the bottom. Tonks' eyes began to tear up uncontrollably when she noticed the chunks of hair missing from her mentor's head. Remus patted her shoulder and noticed how old and weary the ex-auror truly looked with his leg missing, his magical eye absent from his rough, wood-carved face, and his robes dirty and tattered.

Alastor Moody looked up at them from below, shielding his eye slightly as he was not used to the light. Harry could distinctly see the spot where his magical eye should have been and shuttered as it was simply a black hole in the old man's worn and tired face. It took Moody a moment to register what's going on but he finally cracked a very odd smile upon his face in which Remus and Tonks noticed immediately. Tonks jumped up, ready to climb on into the trunk to get her mentor out but Remus put a firm hand on her shoulder, wordlessly offering for him himself to help the old ex-auror out.

"Tonks, that you?" Moody grunted from below, his voice croakier and hoarser than it'd ever been before but Remus could hear that when speaking to Tonks it still held the same warmth and almost fatherly notion it always had.

"You old codger, what are you doing down there?" Tonks demanded, blinking back the worried tears that were stinging her evergreen eyes.

"I cocked up, you impudent brat!" Moody replied in a growl but Remus and Harry both distinctly heard a soft chuckle follow it. Within seconds they understood the entirety of Tonks' relationship with Moody—rough on the surface but caring and genuine underneath, just like the man himself.

"Remus will help you up!" Tonks called down to him.

"Are you ok, Alastor?" Remus asked as he prepared to climb down.

"A little sore," the famous dark wizard catcher replied.

"I'll send a patronus to find Sirius," said Tonks. "He's at the flat in London, is he not?"

"Get Lexi," Remus breathed. "She's probably still at work right now—she'll get here faster. Oh and Silvia too—work or home, she lives in Hogsmeade so she'll make it here quickly. After we pull Moody out, we need to go catch the imposter."

Tonks nodded and gracefully leapt over a pile of books and landed right in front of the window. Harry was amazed how coordinated she was when she direly needed to be. He continued to watch in awe as Tonks waved her wand and called out a more than familiar incantation. "_Expecto Patronum_," she said and a lively, bouncing, ethereal figure of a silvery ferret appeared from the tip of her wand. The playful ferret paused in front of her. Tonks seemed to be giving it directions inside her mind as it then bounced away into the night. Tonks rapidly conjured two more silvery ferrets and like the first, that last two did the same. The three corporeal patronuses bounced away into the night, all swiftly gliding towards the same direction.

"Harry, you and Tonks hold onto this then pull Moody and me out when I give you a yank, alright?" Remus asked while handing them a bundle of rope he'd just transfigured with his wand from one of the many old and heavy spellbooks that littered the room.

"All right," said Tonks, acting quickly.

* * *

><p>Sirius was sitting, experiencing the worst feeling of nervousness he'd ever felt in years. That feeling of nervousness, of anxiety, had even exceeded the immense uneasiness he felt when he was sitting in the Great Hall for the very first time decades ago, sitting under the sorting hat and waiting tremulously to hear whether he would be another black sheep of the Black family or be like all the others and get sorted in the ghastly Slytherin house.<p>

Across from him, Silvia had just recovered from her initial shock of when she finally realized that he'd asked her to marry him. Her lips quivered and she looked as if she was about to give him a reply when suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by three identical patronuses, bouncing into the Three Broomsticks and shocking everyone in the premise. The three ferrets, silvery and glowing, bounded together into one, showing that its three separate recipients were in the same room. Sirius raised an eyebrow just as Tonks' voice bellowed over the watching crowd.

"Found Moody; get to Hogwarts now!"

For a moment, Sirius was stunned, staring at the spot where the patronus had been seconds before it vanished into thin air. Silvia looked up, seeming confused as well. They turned to face each other but once again, before they could say anything, a rough sounding of chair scratching, change and galleons rattling together fell upon the table, and footsteps sounded, interrupting them. Sirius turned and jumped slightly when he saw his cousin's face bearing the patrician beauty of his family surface from the crowd.

"What are you waiting for?" Alexis asked in a hurried voice. "Let's go!"

Sirius blinked. Fred and George Weasley appeared right behind her, standing on either sides of her as if they were her guardians or something of the sort. Sirius blinked again and he finally found his voice. "Wait, you've been here the whole time?" he asked weakly.

One of the two mischievous twins grinned and Sirius felt his heart dropped. "Yes," one of them said while the other winked.

"So, wait, what?" Sirius demanded, not even sure what he was asking.

"No time," Silvia breathed and took him by his upper arm. "They found Moody, possibly the real one." Tonks had definitely been keeping her posted on the investigation. "We _need_ to go to Hogwarts."

"Which way?" Alexis asked as they left the Three Broomsticks. "The front gates are closed and it'll take forever to run up to the Shrieking Shack!"

"We know a quicker way," the twins said together in unison, grinning once again.

"Where?" Sirius questioned thought he felt he already knew the answer.

"The One-Eyed-Witch Passage way," one twin told him.

"It's right in Honeydukes' cellar," the other twin added.

"How'd you know about that passage?" he asked but again, he felt he knew the answer.

"We completely memorized the Marauder's Map."

"That's _my_ map you know," Sirius commented. "I helped make it."

"You can talk more about it later," Silvia urged, pulling them with her as they crossed the street to Honeydukes' Sweet Shop. "If Tonks had the urgency to send a patronus, we best get there fast," she explained.

* * *

><p><em>THUD!<em>

They fell onto each other, creating a mess of Remus, Tonks, Moody, and Harry. Tonks grunted as she pulled her leg out from under Moody's back and groaned because of the ache in her ankle as Remus pulled her up to her feet. Harry was helped up by Mad-Eye Moody who gave the boy a rough push up to his own two feet, startling him a slight bit as he realized this may be the very first time he actually met his real Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Once they untangled themselves, Tonks was over at Moody's side immediately and with Remus' help pulled him onto a chair where he sat and drew long, heavy gasps of breaths for several seconds.

"You were locked in there for nine months?" Tonks questioned in a loud voice ringing with disbelief and slight bewilderment. "How'd you survive?"

"Not easy," Moody grunted, rubbing the stub that was his left leg and groaning a slight bit. "I was mildly surprised to see someone had discovered me," he admitted. "That bastard Crouch has gotten my personality down so well, it's hard to believe it's _not_ me!" He sounded rather ashamed of himself as he spoke and Remus could slightly understand why. He'd been impersonated to near perfection by a Death Eater after all.

"We know he's not you," Tonks comforted him, bending down and looking closely at him, taking in all the withered features and dilapidation of the old man.

"At least we found you," Remus sighed, trying to sound optimistic. Looking at Moody, he felt terrible they hadn't found him sooner. This Moody here, the man sitting right in front of him, was completely different from the man he'd seen a year ago at Hogwarts looking for Sirius Black. This mad looked beaten and worn—but he was still the same man nonetheless.

"Wait," Harry spoke up, recovering from the initial shock of his realization. "How do you know this is the _real_ Moody? What if he's another impersonator?"

Tonks narrowed her eyes. "Mad-Eye," she began. "What's constant vigilance?"

The next event happened so fast, Remus and Harry barely had time to register it. Moody, weary and beaten as he was, thumped Tonks very hard on the side of the head. "OUCH!" she yelled, immediately following a dull thud that sounded from the collision of Moody's hand and her skull. Remus blinked and Tonks was rubbing the side of her head while glaring at Moody reproachfully, her face distorted by fleeting pain. "Bloody hell," she groaned angrily. "He's Mad-Eye Moody all right, you wonky old codger."

"You're as impudent and lippy as ever I see," he sighed. "Yep, she's still Tonks."

"You know, I'd rather you have your wand! Tickling Charms don't hurt!" Tonks retorted.

Remus threatened a laugh at the mentor and student but he figured that it would be a bad time to do so. Straightening himself and clearing his throat subtly, he turned to Harry and said, "Harry, can you take Alastor down to Madam Pomfrey at the Hospital Wing? He needs immediate medical attention. Oh and take this batch of Polyjuice Potion with you."

"Of course," Harry nodded, suppressing his own wry little grin and getting up to help Moody stand. He briefly wondered how in the world he was going to get Moody down to Madam Pomfrey's but Moody's ability to stand on his one remaining leg has answered his question. He'd just have to be very, very coordinated himself.

"I'll carry the potion," Moody grunted to Harry in an attempt at a gentle voice.

"Nymphadora," Remus called as Tonks growled quietly at him. "I believe you have an arrest to make?"

"Too right you are."


	32. The Arrest

**Author's Note:**

Err, I'm not too confident writing action scenes...well I hope it's all right, haha, if anything seems weird, please tell me, constructive criticism helps. Thank you and in any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter! xD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 32 – The Arrest<strong>

Remus was running through the corridors of Hogwarts faster than he'd ever done in his entire life, even faster than when he and the other Marauders were chased by Professor McGonagall down the hall for causing chaos. Beside him, Tonks' black auror robes flapped in a fury behind her—it was amazing how her coordination suddenly improved so greatly at such necessary times. Tonks had a stern and determined look on her face. Her investigation of Crouch had dragged out long enough and no matter what, it will end that night.

"Turn here," Remus breathed, pulling Tonks abruptly down a small corridor.

"It's a dead end!" said Tonks.

"There's a secret passage down to the library," he explained.

"Marauders," she sighed. "How do you expect us to arrest him in the middle of the library?" Tonks continued to ask.

"I thought _you_ had it all figured out," Remus replied, gasping for breath at the same time.

"Well, I did," Tonks said, drawing a sharp gasp when Remus pulled her into another turn and prevented her from colliding flat against a wall. "But then I figured we couldn't just storm into the library, wands raised and screaming for arrest. He'd run away!"

"Here," Remus sighed, coming to an abrupt stop in front of a large painting of a glistening knight in shining armor. Remus groaned. He'd just realized they were facing the portrait of Sir Cadogan. Obviously he'd forgotten to consider the fact that some portraits may have been moved around since the last time Remus had used this passage. "Oh bloody hell," Remus cursed for the first time in front of Tonks.

"And who are these unfamiliar faces that trespass in front of my private lands?" Sir Cadogan demanded, brandishing his shiny sword at them.

Tonks rolled her eyes at the mentally unstable knight. "We need to get through!"

"There's a passage behind here," Remus said, staring at the peculiar knight.

"Then halt! What is the password?"

"What?" Tonks growled.

"Password?" Remus questioned. "Normally it was the portrait of the Umbrella Clown and I'd just have to ask him to let me through."

"For god's sake, Remus," Tonks sighed. She reached into her auror robes and from the leather wand sheath, pulled out her long, light brown sword-like wand. "Sir Cadogan, we need to get through now!"

With her wand pointed at him, the knight became flustered and dropped his sword, holding both hands into the air. "Of course, of course my fair lady!" he replied. "Here is your passage." The portrait flung to the side, revealing a dark and narrow passage that Remus was sure had remained unused ever since the Marauders left Hogwarts.

"_Lumos_," Remus said after taking out his own wand and walking closely behind Tonks.

His wand, held in the air in front of Tonks and himself, was illuminating the dark passage as he and Tonks scooted along as fast as they possibly could. They walked for a short while, feeling like they were descending all while squished between two walls. Remus was certain this passage would lead them straight into the library.

"Love, are you sure you remembered right?" Tonks questioned.

"Of course," Remus replied. "Do you trust me?"

"Yeah," she answered firmly and Remus could see the shadow of a grin from the light expelled by his wand.

They suddenly reached the end of the tunnel. Patting around, Remus and Tonks could feel that they were pressing against the back of a canvas, another painting. "How do you suppose we make the arrest?" Remus questioned, worried because he'd never arrested anyone before.

"Err, keep your wand out of sight but have it at the ready," said Tonks. Remus nodded. "Then we just go in there quietly, look around, it's a library after all, and when you see him, make sure to tell Ron, Hermione, and anyone else there to duck, then stun him." She paused then added, "Madam Pince would kill us."

"And do we split up?" Remus asked.

"You take one side, I'll take the other." Tonks answered quickly and Remus pushed the canvas forward, stepping out into the intensely quiet library together. With one quick glimpse around at the familiar old library with its everlasting musty scent of books, they separated and silently glided down two different aisles.

* * *

><p>"Oi, stop pushing!" Fred yelled as they crawled out of the small hole behind the statue of the distorted one-eyed witch.<p>

"Hurry up!" Sirius groaned, pushing the young red-haired boy out.

From behind the gray statue, a mass of people tumbled out, landing on top of each other in a mess. Fred Weasley fell out first, then Sirius Black who rolled over beside him, catching Silvia just as she slipped out of the passage entrance, and Alexis Black and George Weasley came out together, grunting slightly as they'd been stuck trying to rush out at the same time.

"Nearly forgotten how small that passage was," George sighed, standing up and helping Alexis and his twin up.

"Are you alright?" Sirius asked with genuine care as he helped Silvia to her feet.

"Perfectly fine," she replied quickly with a flicker of a smile before she turned to face the others. "We need to get to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom quickly."

"We're on the third floor," said George. "It should be just down the corridor."

"Hang on," Fred cut in just as he and the others spotted a figure limping down the hall.

"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed; rushing towards the young boy whom he and the others saw was helping a disheveled and worn Mad-Eye Moody down the hall, supporting the man as he limped without a leg.

"Mad-Eye!" Silvia and Alexis called together.

"Silvia, Alexis, Weasleys," Moody grunted upon seeing them. He seemed too tired to say much more—it was a miracle Harry could even keep him standing and holding onto a wooden box of potions supplies as well.

"Sirius," Harry grinned upon reaching them. "What are you all doing here?"

"Looking for _him_ apparently," the twins replied, gesturing to Moody.

"Err, Harry, what's going on?" Alexis questioned.

"He's the real Moody, right?" Silvia asked, immediately shifting to Moody's side to help him just as Harry nodded.

"Hold on, what's going on?" Sirius demanded.

"Remus and Tonks came," said Harry. "They were looking for evidence and we found Polyjuice Potion," Harry gestured to the box in Moody's arms. "Then we found the real Professor Moody locked up in his own trunk. I'm supposed to take him to the Hospital Wing while Remus and Tonks catch the imposter who's in the library with Ron and Hermione."

Sirius, Silvia, and Alexis exchanged swift looks before Alexis turned back to Fred and George and said, "Fred, George, you take Moody to the Hospital Wing. Harry, go find Dumbledore or McGonagall."

"I want to help!" Harry cut in.

Sirius sighed quickly before saying, "Harry, you come with us then. Fred, George, you two take Moody to the Hospital Wing then use the shortcut beside the giant cross banner and get yourself to McGonagall's office. Get her and Dumbledore to come find us."

"Gladly," the twins nodded in unison and helped Moody off of Silvia and Harry.

"Come on Professor," George said.

"We're misfits but we won't bite," Fred finished, grinning as he and his twin helped the limping old ex-auror down to the Hospital Wing, George gripping onto the box of potions Moody had been holding.

"Harry, where did you say Remus and Tonks were headed?" Silvia asked.

"To the library," the boy with shocking emerald eyes replied. "Moody err Crouch is there. I asked Ron and Hermione to distract him while we searched his office."

"So we're headed to the library," Sirius nodded, walking quickly.

"Know any shortcuts, Padfoot?" Alexis asked; her black wand already out and ready.

"One," he answered. "It might be a bit narrow though."

* * *

><p>It was hard to remain silent in a library. Tonks' long robes billowed behind her creating brisk flapping noises that caught the attention of several students who were still there studying for various reasons—most of them, Tonks noticed, wore Ravenclaw robes. Her bubblegum pink hair was dancing behind her as she rushed from shelf to shelf, looking in between the aisles for the large, bulky man impersonating her beloved mentor. As she went on, Tonks tightened her grip on her wand. Often she would run into Remus and after a fleeting glance, they were split up again. She'd looked through a hundred shelves at least and Tonks never realized how massive the Hogwarts library was until now.<p>

She stopped for a brief moment to catch her breath. Ahead, she could hear Hermione's voice, incessantly pestering the imposter with one question after another regarding various dark creatures, some of which Tonks couldn't even recognize by name.

Tonks smiled. "Good job, Hermione," she whispered to herself before gasping as she collided against Remus' chest again. His arms wrapped instinctively around her, prevented her from falling. "Remus," she breathed.

"He's up there," he said, nodding his head towards the direction where Hermione's voice was coming from. "You take one side, I take the other?"

"Yeah," she nodded and after a brief tightening of the arm muscle and hugging him, Tonks staggered away, her robes flailing against her swift footsteps.

She arrived at the area where Ron, Hermione, and the fake Mad-Eye Moody were situated, huddled around a table stacked with many books. Hermione's eyes looked up at her while Ron's found Remus'. Moody was caught right in the middle of drinking his potion.

Before anything else happened, Tonks yelled, "_Reducto_!" and the flask in the imposter's hands fell to the ground near Remus' feet. "Hermione, Ron, move!"

In a state of panic, Hermione and Ron jumped to the side in a blur of bushy brown and flaming red hair. Tonks and Remus both sent another spell at him but Crouch's wand had conjured up a shield charm just in the nick of time.

"This is very bold of you," Crouch growled, a smile twisting his lips, Moody's lips.

"Bartemius Crouch Jr., you are under arrest," Tonks exclaimed, sending another stunner at him which he deflected over to Remus whom luckily had dodged it in time, leaning smoothly to the side so that the jet of white light struck a pile of books and sent them flying into the air.

Without another word, Tonks began to run.

"Remus!"

"On it," Remus replied, giving chase instinctively as Tonks jumped over the table and followed, running alongside Remus throwing stunners at Crouch's large back.

"_Stupefy_!"

"_Protego_!" Crouch growled in Moody's hoarse, raspy voice.

They were running through the library, students gasping as they swept by and Tonks could distinctly hear Madam Pince screaming after them. Crouch was throwing rapid stunners at them but having been trained, Tonks was quick enough to dodge them and keep up with the chase. When she glimpsed at Remus, she was amazed at how gracefully he was dodging the spells, swerving, twisting, and turning on a dime.

Books were flying at them, falling off the shelves by Crouch's doing and pelting towards them. Tonks shielded herself with her elbow and kept running, Remus doing the same. "_Reducto!_" she heard Remus yell as he sent a book flying forward, hitting Crouch in the back. Unfortunately, it only served to propel him even faster forward.

Tonks had to duck entirely as a particularly large book fell towards her and Remus, taking almost the entire space between the shelves. Falling to the ground and scrambling back up again, Tonks ignored the throbbing pain in her knees as she cursed under her breath because of the distance Crouch had put between them. He suddenly turned and Remus and Tonks did the same, following him. Once they faced the wooden doors that exited the library, they saw that Crouch had turned around to face them, showering them in a cascade of blue lights.

Left, right, and center, Tonks and Remus were deflecting spells, brandishing their wands back and forth as the shower of spells continued to pelt them like falling stars. Once they finally caught sight of Crouch again behind the shimmering fireworks, he was already out the door.

"Don't worry, you can't apparate anywhere inside Hogwarts," Remus breathed.

"I figured," Tonks replied, chasing. She'd already been trying to apparate or half-apparate, collapsing into a wispy cloud of white light ever since the chase started. "Ah—" She suddenly tripped over something that looked an awful lot like a book but before she hit the ground Remus' arm had grabbed her and flung her forward.

For a moment Tonks' feet were off the ground. She staggered a little and scrambled to keep her speed up again, running down the corridor that time, her footsteps echoing in the giant space. "_Stupefy!_" Remus cried beside her.

The jet of light struck a sprinting Crouch square in the backside, propelling him forward against a wall before he could even turn. Tonks and Remus seized the opportunity to catch up and Tonks yelled, "_Petrificus Totalus_," but before her spell had reached him, a flustered Crouch had miraculously conjured up a shield charm.

Her wand arm held over her head, Tonks and Remus now showered Crouch with one spell after another, deciding to lean towards the non-verbal spell casting in hopes of using the split-second surprise to their advantage. Unfortunately, though Remus and Tonks were both adept duelists, Crouch was no joker himself. He'd deflected their spells one after another and the one that Tonks had managed to get past him, Crouch merely turned his head to the side, preventing it from hitting his face. The wall erupted behind him and the deflected spells crafter more craters into the stone walls.

Crouch got to his feet and he had turned offensive now, throwing spells back at them while deflecting ones sent at him. Tonks dodged to the side, turned on the heel of her foot and sent a spell behind her that erupted right beside Crouch's hand. Both hers and Remus' wands were firing so many spells they were faster than gunshots. Remus jumped forward, dodging a jet of green light that exploded at his feet and sending a spiraling blue flame at Crouch who barely dodged it—the blue flames scorched his robes and they began chasing again.

Growing frustrated, Tonks forced herself to use both non-verbal and wandless magic, creating more spells than she'd ever done before. What felt like a challenge to her seemed easy for Remus as when she glanced over at him, he'd mirrored her and met her eyes fleetingly. Blue flames erupted in front of Crouch, burning his legs but he kept running, forcing Tonks and Remus to leap over the rising wall which them simmered and vanished behind them. Walls were erupting left and right; pieces of the ceiling were falling, and Tonks had forced the ground to begin to move, sprouting dark brown ropes like tentacles from between the tiles that grabbed at Crouch's feet. Inside her mind, Tonks was going through one spell after another: the Disarming Charm, the Confundus Charm, the Freezing Charm, and the Severing Charm. Instinctively, she switched to an array of ice spells she'd perfected just as Remus began using the fire spells he'd always preferred.

"He's only running now," Remus told her.

And it was true. Red, green, blue, white, and orange; so many spells were being pelted toward him, Crouch barely had time to turn back and deflect them. He was only focusing on running now and dodging the many obstacles that Remus and Tonks were putting in his path. The wall breathed fire and spit out furious flames at Crouch who had been forced to abandon his burning coat behind. It was strange for Tonks, running behind a man who physically looked exactly like her mentor, but she couldn't let that distract her. Glaciers began to fall from the ceiling at Crouch who shielded himself with his elbows. Finally, Remus and Tonks finally caught him when a particularly large glacier fell in front of him tripping him, and another breath of flame blasted him to the side.

Tonks flicked her wrist, unable to stop the onslaught of spells inside her mind and her charm hit the target dead on. A Severing Charm was used and as the streak of jagged red lights struck Crouch in the face, his human eye began bleeding by a massive vertical cut and Tonks had successfully maimed his right eye.

Angry and desperate, Crouch climbed to his feet again and began firing spells at Remus and Tonks. It was then that Tonks finally noticed throughout their chase, she and Remus had both garnered a few injuries as well varying from small cuts to minor burns. Crouch was backing up into another corridor and Tonks was searching her brain for a way to stop him—she didn't want to have to run again as her legs were growing tired and her lungs were gasping for air still.

Suddenly, a flash of brilliant white light detonated behind Crouch along with the cry of at least four voices all screaming, "_STUPEFY!_," and Crouch was thrust forward, knocked unconscious as his body flailed against the stone wall like a ragdoll. Unable to stop the many spells still firing out of their wands, Remus and Tonks pulled back just as the figure of four people ducked and covered their heads, barely visible to Tonks and Remus behind the dust of the cratered walls. Remus craned his neck and bit and just as things began quiet again, he noticed Sirius, Silvia, Alexis, and Harry approaching them. Alexis looked the most at ease out of the group, walking through the chaotic battle zone as if she was striding through a field of flowers, her raven-black hair fanned out like a veil, dancing behind her. Harry's glasses were askew and he looked rather surprised by the state of the corridor he passed by every day for classes. Sirius and Silvia looked slightly flustered and Sirius was hovering over Silvia protectively as if ready to take a Killing Curse for her.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius exclaimed. "The whole place is a mess!"

"He put up a good fight," Tonks breathed, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, smearing blood above her eyebrow.

Remus was breathing hard, his forehead sweating as he cooled himself down. "Sorry, we didn't expect you four to show up right behind him."

"You could have killed us!" Sirius retorted but he didn't seem angry.

Alexis was already over beside Crouch, picking up his wand and bounding him with ropes she'd transfigured from debris of the exploded walls on the ground. "You might want to keep this," she said, handing Tonks Moody's wand.

"Thanks," Tonks breathed, taking the wand and taking Remus' sweaty hand.

"Is he-is he dead?" Harry asked, approaching the unconscious man whose skin was beginning to bubble and he was turning back into his real form.

"Dead, no," Remus sighed. "Unconscious, yes." Remus gazed at Crouch as Moody's features literally melted away from him, revealing a lanky, gaunt, and haunted man underneath the heavy robes several sizes too big for him. The scars had disappeared into pale smooth skin, the mangled nose shrunken and whole, and the mane of grizzled hair had withdrawn and turned into the color of straw. His body was bleeding in several places, and a large gash tore through his face and his right eye, dripping with scarlet blood.

"Err, Tonks," Sirius called and when Remus and Tonks turned to look at him, found him making a disgusted face as he pointed to the eyeball swirling around on the floor, looking up at each of their faces.

"That's Moody's eye," said Harry, cringing slightly.

"I'll get it," Silvia sighed and without the slightest hint of reluctance, bent down to pick it up. With her wand, she summoned up a wide tube of water and dropped the eye into it with a _glop_, and sealed it with a black lid. She then proceeded to pick up the wooden leg of Moody's that also had fallen off upon the revelation of Crouch's real leg.

"That's disgusting," Sirius groaned, gagging and sticking his tongue out.

"You get used to it," Tonks and Silvia said together, exchanging glances and grinning.

"Really? Because I still haven't," Alexis retorted in a low voice, shivering at the eyeball.

From behind, they could hear more footsteps echoing in the hall and the small group of six turned around to face another group of approaching people. Ron and Hermione were running quickly behind Fred and George, eager to see the scene. Dumbledore and McGonagall were trailing behind, Dumbledore looking rather grim while McGonagall's jaw was hanging a foot down as she gawked at the damage done to the beloved school.

"Oh my god!" she breathed. "E-explain yourselves, all of you!" she demanded, glaring at them for a moment until her eyes fell upon Crouch's unconscious self lying in Moody's robes. Another gasp escaped her breath.

"It's alright, Minerva," Dumbledore said, calming her with a pat on the shoulder as he stepped forward for a closer look. "I was afraid this might happen."

"Sorry Professor," Tonks apologized, looking back at the trail of destruction she'd left behind—she just never expected Crouch to put up such a fight.

"It's alright, Miss Tonks—Remus," Dumbledore smiled pleasantly. "Now I suggest we get Barty Crouch Jr. up into an empty classroom for interrogation and clean this trail of chaos up." His twinkling eyes looked up at each and every one of them.

"I'll stay back and clean, you go," said Remus, nudging Tonks gently.

"No, Remus, you helped with the arrest," Alexis said. "Remus, Tonks, and Silvia go with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. Everyone else, stay back."

"Thank you," Tonks smiled, ignoring an indignant "Oi!" from Sirius.

"Minerva, send a message out to the Auror Office," Dumbledore instructed. "And for interrogation, we will need Veritaserum—please go and retrieve Severus from the dungeons."

"Hang on, Lexi?" Silvia asked, turning to Alexis, the only Unspeakable she knew.

"Err, it's not like I carry my office around with me," Alexis smiled weakly.

"It's alright Alexis," Dumbledore smiled, blue eyes twinkling behind his half moon glasses perched on his nose. "Calling Severus won't be any trouble."

"Shall we go?" Tonks asked, already levitating Crouch's unconscious body, bounded by thick brown ropes, in mid air.

"We shall, Miss Tonks," Dumbledore smiled while McGonagall pressed her lips tighter and swept the other way, heading towards the dungeon. "Harry, you come with us," Dumbledore added, taking the boy gently by the shoulder and nudging him along.

"Alright," Harry managed, following them bemusedly.

"Sorry, Sirius," Remus smiled apologetically, patting Sirius on the shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Ruddy tosspots," Sirius grumbled as he continued sweeping the floor with large brooms that Fred and George had gladly summoned with their wands from the cleaning closet for their use. "Make a mess and make <em>me<em> clean it up."

"Give it a rest, Sirius," Alexis sighed. "_Somebody_ has to do it."

"Where the bloody hell is Filch?" Sirius questioned in a booming voice.

"He's probably getting cozy with his cat," Ron laughed, kicking a large chunk of stone to the side as he helped Hermione clear away a corner.

"Cozy like you with yourself, Ron?" Fred and George teased, grinning evilly.

"Shut up," Ron groaned.

"Why are you so quiet, Hermione?" Sirius questioned, shaking his head at the boys.

Hermione, who had not said a word since she arrived, was still looking pensive. "I don't get it," she said. "What exactly happened?"

Alexis straightened up and leaned back on the wall, receiving a glare from Sirius—the entire time, she and the twins had cleared up absolutely nothing. They only moved the rocks and dirt around in the least. "So none of you knew?" she asked Hermione.

"Knew what?" both Ron and Hermione queried.

"That our teacher is a big imposter?" Fred asked.

"Not a chance!" finished George.

"We didn't notice a thing," Hermione sighed.

Looking up from his broom, Sirius exchanged a look with Alexis. "We haven't told Harry anything," he explained slowly. "Knowing the kid, and you two," he pointed to Ron and Hermione. "You three would get yourself into trouble snooping around if we told you. You might even get hurt. I mean look at this!" He quickly widened his arms, gesturing to the state of destruction the long corridor was in and caught his broom again by the handle. "Remus and Tonks are skilled duelists, I tell you, and even Crouch managed to cause this much destruction. If you three tried going after him, you might get yourselves killed!"

"So you kept us in the dark? While he's so close to us?" Ron asked, sounding bothered.

"You were at Hogwarts," Alexis sighed, folding her arms in front of her. "Dumbledore was here and Dumbledore's presence alone will keep you and everyone else safe," she said firmly. "No one will dare make an open move at you under Dumbledore's nose."

Turning to Hermione, Alexis noticed that realization was dawning upon her and Hermione's eyes lit up. "Of course!" she gasped. "Why didn't I see it before?"

"See what?" Ron questioned just as Fred and George too leaned back on the wall like Alexis, exchanging brief glances at her and grinning, leaving the cleaning to Ron, Hermione, and Sirius who was still glaring at his cousin.

"You said Crouch was once a Death Eater—"

"_Still_ a Death Eater," Sirius corrected her.

"Yes, and he practices the Dark Arts! No proper Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, even if he's an auror, would perform the Unforgivable Curses in a classroom!"

"He what?" Alexis and Sirius asked, sounding surprised at the news.

"Several months ago, he was teaching us about the Unforgivable Curses," Hermione began to explain. "He performed all three of them right in front of us upon a spider—the Imperius Curse, the Torture Curse, and the Killing Curse!"

"And-and he even performed the Imperius Curse on each and every one of us!" Ron added. "He was trying to see which one of us could resist it."

"Harry was the only one who could resist it," Hermione said. "I thought it was normal at first—that he wanted to teach us how to resist it, but no Dark Arts Defense Class would ever graze upon that subject! Not even N.E.W.T. level students learn much about the Unforgivables."

"We've never even heard them mentioned in school," said Fred and George in unison. "Dad only told us about it at home."

"Then mum hushed him up," Ron interjected.

"She said we were too young to learn about those," Fred finished.

"Bloody hell," Sirius sighed.

Alexis had grown quiet. Her eyes were distant and thoughtful while she mindlessly stroked the side of her cheek, an obvious sign that she was deep in thought. Sirius knew and so he allowed her silence for a while. Soon the time became too much and growing tired to sweeping, Sirius leaned on his broom and turned to his pensive cousin.

"Lexi, what are your thoughts?" he asked, removing her from her reverie.

She looked up, her arms crossed in front of her still. "Crouch is planning something," she said. "There's a reason he's here at Hogwarts, obviously, and it might be more than an attempt to kill Harry. He _has_ to be planning something very big to have to stage such a well-thought-out scheme right here. It took us _months_ to gather the right evidence against him, and impersonating as Alastor Moody is something no one would figure out. Furthermore, he'd perfected his impersonation of Moody to the point where even Tonks and Silvia couldn't tell the difference on first glimpse and Tonks was trained by him while Silvia spent most of her career as his partner."

"What do you think he's planning?" Ron asked.

"I don't know but I only hope that they find it out in the interrogation," Alexis sighed.

Sirius looked at his cousin for a moment before dropping his shoulders and drawing a very long sigh himself. "We'll just wait for them then," he said. "Come on, let's get all this rubble cleaned up—wouldn't want to be seen as useless."

"Oh you don't have to do that," said Alexis. "Look at Fred and George, they're already sitting down and…" she turned to the twins. "Playing Exploding Snap—brilliant guys."

Sirius threw his broom to the ground, tired. "What do you mean we don't have to do that?" he asked. He was feeling particularly snappy since he have yet gotten an answer from Silvia and everyone keeps intruding whenever he tried to talk to her again. It was becoming quite annoying, especially when the question implied was one he'd never thought of with any other woman before.

"Here," Alexis smirked, pushing herself off the wall and taking out her wand. She waved it once and all the brooms vanished. She waved it a second time and Sirius watched in awe as all the debris and destruction mended itself—scattered rocks and rubble falling back into place in its craters in the wall, burns and streaks cleaned off the floors, and cracks and crevices in the floors closed themselves. Within seconds, the corridor looked clean and untouched.

"Alexis Lydia Black, I bloody hate you," Sirius huffed. "How are you able to do that?"

"Well, I _do_ live with Tonks," Alexis answered. "She's an exceptional auror, yes, but she's a complete mess, that one. When it comes to Tonks performing household charms, she's a piece of work." Alexis shook her head. "And besides, I'm an Unspeakable. You _need_ to know good cleaning charms to get the bloodstains off the walls."

"Bloodstains?" Sirius and Ron questioned at the same time.

Fred and George grinned, temporarily removing themselves from their game of Exploding Snap. "Time-splinch," said Fred, having become one of Alexis' confidants whom she told many things to.

"Oh time," George sighed, dealing the cards again. "Thou art a heartless bitch."

* * *

><p>Tonks was leaning against the old, dusty wooden desk of an empty classroom, looking around at the shelves that lined the walls of the room while Dumbledore, Harry, Silvia, Remus, and she waited for Snape and McGonagall to come. Her eyes fell upon Crouch's unconscious body lying on the floor, his head lolled to the side. Bored, Tonks turned to glimpse at everyone else. Dumbledore looked grim but his presence didn't bring upon a negative feeling. He simply stood there, his hands behind his back, waiting. Harry seemed awkwardly placed between them all, being the only teenager amongst a group of adults. Silvia, like Tonks, was looking around, but unlike Tonks, she was humming to herself—she seemed exceptionally happy about something and Tonks knew it definitely had nothing to do with Crouch's arrest. She also noticed that Silvia looked less pallid and frail than before, as if her spirit had definitely been uplifted. Tonks wondered if something had happened between her and Sirius and knew she'd have to question them once this was all over.<p>

Finally, Tonks' eyes then turned to Remus who was standing beside her. He was quiet, looking down at his feet. She spotted several cuts upon him and shifting quietly, Tonks placed the tip of her wand gently against his skin and muttered several healing charms. He did the same for her and she smiled ardently, stroking his soft skin that was weeping with sweat.

"Hurt?" he asked her in a quiet voice, making their conversation private.

She shook her head. "Used to it," she replied.

"I presume your worries are gone now?" he questioned, his blue eyes twinkling under the flickering light from the firelight that spilled over the room.

That time, she nodded. "Yeah," she answered. "Reckon we can go on a date now that I'm completely free?" She was grinning.

Remus' cheeks grew red and Tonks always loved making him flush. He nodded and leaned closer to her, his arm holding her by the waist as they returned to their waiting. "Of course," he said. "Maybe a double date," he smiled, gesturing towards Silvia who was smiling to herself while twiddling her thumbs. Remus must have also figured out that something had made a turn for the better between Sirius and Silvia.

The door to the classroom suddenly flew open extravagantly, letting in a sudden breath of cold air that made Tonks shiver slightly and draw back closer into Remus' embrace. From the doorway, Professor McGonagall walked in, wearing a stoic expression and saying nothing. Behind her, Severus Snape made a grand entrance as he swooped in and strode across the classroom up to where Dumbledore stood, his face curtained by shiny black greasy hair, his cloak billowing behind him. Dressed entirely in black, Tonks had to admit that Snape looked remarkably like a giant, oversize bat.

She snickered and Remus, whose Marauder self had apparently been thinking the very same think, nudged her gently while suppressing his own little smirk. Snape glared at the two of them, turned to look at Silvia with nonchalance, and then allowed his beady black eyes to fall upon Harry bearing a look of deep, immeasurable loathing.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Severus, the Veritaserum," he smiled pleasantly.

Wordlessly, Snape handed Dumbledore a small blue vial with a golden cap. Dumbledore bent down beside Crouch's face, his wand drawn and with a gentle wave, he seemed to have woken Crouch up from his unconscious state. Crouch's eyes opened and he blinked several times before stirring and then desperately trying to break free of the bonds that were holding him. Dumbledore stowed his wand away and gripped Crouch tightly by the jaw, forcing all the contents of the Veritaserum into Crouch's mouth, a clear liquid pouring in. Tonks recalled that Crouch was skilled at Occlumency and understood why the entire vial was needed rather than a single drop that was most commonly given.

At that moment, Tonks noticed that the wizened headmaster had completely dropped his benign façade. The look upon Dumbledore's face as he stared down at a struggling Crouch, his hand gripping Crouch's throat, was more terrible than anything Tonks could have imagined. When he spoke, there was no sound of pleasantry, no twinkle in the eyes behind the half moon spectacles. There was only cold fury in every line of the ancient face. A sense of power radiated from Dumbledore, so powerful that Tonks could feel the temperature of the room growing and Crouch cringing slightly to it—it was as if Dumbledore was radiating burning heat. He'd turned into a completely different person—never had Tonks seen Albus Dumbledore like such. Anger was present inside of him for his good friend had been impersonated by a Death Eater right under his own nose.

Quietly, Remus stepped up and handed Dumbledore the hip flask of Mad-Eye Moody he'd picked up earlier. Dumbledore handed it to Snape who instinctively flipped open the top and sniffed it as if simply the stench of the potion was enough for him to tell what it was. "Polyjuice Potion," Snape said in his cold, drawling voice.

"There's more of it in the Hospital Wing where Harry took Moody to," said Tonks quite reservedly before a grim looking Dumbledore. "He had a box full of the ingredients."

"Severus, have a look at that later, will you?" Dumbledore asked and Snape nodded. He then turned back to Crouch who was grinning under Dumbledore's hand. "Simple, but brilliant," said Dumbledore. "The real Alastor never _does_ drink, except from his hip flask, he's well known for it." Dumbledore's eyes briefly passed by Tonks and Silvia whom he knew were close to Moody. "He had to keep Alastor close to extract his hair to continue brewing it of course. Where did you find Alastor, Miss Tonks—Remus?"

"In his trunk," Remus replied for Tonks couldn't answer fast enough. "The seventh layer—Nymphadora picked it open."

"Brilliant, Miss Tonks," Dumbledore complemented but Tonks found it strange to hear a complement from him when his face looked so contorted with anger. "Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asked, turning back to Crouch.

"Yes," Crouch muttered, sounding very much like he was suppressing speech.

"Listen closely, Miss Tonks, Silvia, you may have most of the answers already but this is confirmation to what you know," said Dumbledore whose eyes returned to Crouch's gaunt and hollow face. "I would like you to tell us how you came be here. How did you escape from Azkaban?"

"My mother saved me. She knew she was dying. She persuaded my father to rescue me as a last favor to her. He loved her as he had never loved me." Crouch paused, sounding like he was still desperately trying to hold back speech but the answers poured out of him like water. "He agreed. They came to visit me. They gave me a draught of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my mother's hairs. She took a draught of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my hairs. We took on each other's appearance."

Crouch took a deep breath.

"The dementors are blind. They sensed one healthy, one dying person entering Azkaban. They sensed one healthy, one dying person leaving it. My father smuggled me out, disguised as my mother, in case any prisoners were watching through their doors. My mother died a short while afterward in Azkaban. She was careful to drink Polyjuice Potion until the end. She was buried under my name and bearing my appearance. Everyone believed her to be me."

"And what did your father do, when he had got you home?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Staged my mother's death. A quiet, private funeral. That grave is empty. The house-elf nursed me back to health. Then I had to be concealed. I had to be controlled. My father had to use a number of spells to subdue me. When I had recovered my strength, I thought only of finding my master…of returning to his service."

"And you master," said Dumbledore, his voice quieter than before. "Did you ever find Lord Voldemort?"

"No," said Crouch who was grinning madly and staring up at Dumbledore with wide, popping eyes and an insane look upon him. There, Tonks and Remus saw it again. He licked his lips, snake-like. "I never found my master," he continued. "I only heard whispers and rumors, but I never again glimpsed him.

"Why are you here, at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore questioned.

Crouch's grin widened to the point where it seemed to be cracking his lips. "To _kill_ Harry Potter." His neck veins were visible and bulging. "Harry Potter is the one who vanquished the Dark Lord. How is it that a mere _infant_ could defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How?" Crouch demanded. "It was because of him that my master fell and _he_ must be killed!"

Dumbledore looked up at a horrified Harry. They were right the entire time. Crouch really _had_ come to Hogwarts to kill Harry. "Don't worry Harry," Dumbledore sighed. "He will be of no more danger to us now." Roughly, Dumbledore let go of Crouch who continued to squirm and writhe in the bonds that Alexis had summoned to hold him. The ropes seem only to restrict and become tighter the more he moved. "Silvia, Miss Tonks, I'm sure you two can take him now." Tonks and Silvia stepped forward, nodding firmly. "Attempt to interrogate him more if you can while at the Auror Office. I'm afraid this is all we'll be able to get out of him tonight—the effects of the Veritaserum are quickly wearing off with him." As Tonks stepped forward, Remus noticed that Dumbledore looked down at Crouch with a strange look in his eyes, half unbelieving and half worried.

There was a soft knock upon the door and Dumbledore looked up. "Let them in, will you Minerva?" he asked gently, seeming tired. "It's Sirius and the others."

McGonagall nodded and moved towards the door. When she opened it, Sirius and several others swarmed into the room, looking anxious. Alexis was the last to enter and closed the door quietly behind her as she came. She then turned to Tonks and without a word, took a seat at one of the empty desks beside Fred and George.

"Did he say anything?" Sirius asked, moving over to stand beside Silvia just as Ron and Hermione took their places beside a stunned silent Harry.

"Plenty," said Dumbledore. "Most of which, I'm sure you've already figured out, Sirius."

"Good heavens," McGonagall sighed.

"Thank you for helping unravel this mystery. I am sure Alastor will be fine under Madam Pomfrey's care for tonight and he will be transported to St. Mungo's Hospital in the morning," Dumbledore told them. "The aurors here will handle Barty Crouch Jr. Students…" he paused and glimpsed around at the small group of kids, including Harry. "You may stay and speak a little but return to your common room quickly. I believe it is nearing time for bed." And with that, Dumbledore strode out of the classroom, Snape and McGonagall quickly following in his step, no doubt wanting to question him more about the events.

"What was that all about?" asked Ron.

"Harry will tell you," Silvia answered him, knowing exactly what Harry will do. "Sirius, Remus will tell you and Lexi everything. Tonks and I have got to get him back to the Ministry."

"But wait," Sirius said. He paused, bit his lips and seemed like he had something he wanted to say. "Never mind," he sighed.

"I will answer you in the morning," she promised with a smile.

Tonks turned to Remus, wondering what Silvia and Sirius were talking about. Remus shrugged and he beckoned her forward. Tonks gazed at him, wanting to stay with him for the rest of the night but she knew she couldn't. Quickly, she walked back, leaned on the tip of her toes, and placed a gentle kiss upon his cheek.

"Goodnight," she whispered in their private conversation. "I'll see you in the morning."

He smiled and nodded, knowing that she had to go and there was no use pulling her back. With a quick stroke of her bubblegum pink hair that looked rather windswept, Remus whispered, "Goodnight," and watched as she walked off to join Silvia in binding another layer of ropes around Crouch and levitating him out of the room.

* * *

><p>After Remus had retold Alexis and Sirius everything he heard through Crouch's confession to Dumbledore, he found that Alexis too wore a look of worrying and disbelief like Dumbledore had earlier. She excused herself and disapparated to the Ministry, wondering if Tonks would let her help out with the interrogation—Remus doubted Tonks would deny the help. At the end of the very long night, Remus and Sirius headed back to Sirius' flat in London, walking slowly out of the slow moving muggle lift just as Remus came to the dismal realization that he was now aching all over his body.<p>

"I'm not as young as I used to be," Remus groaned, dropping himself heavily down upon the long grey sofa in Sirius' living room.

Sirius took the leather armchair across from him, an unopened bottle of firewhiskey in his hands. "Nonsense, mate," he said. "The moon's coming up. I'm surprised you could manage a chase of that extent."

"We didn't expect him to put up such a fight," Remus sighed, running his hands shakily through his light brown hair.

"Yeah, I didn't expect you and Tonksie to destroy the entire corridor."

"How did the cleaning go anyways?" Remus asked, wondering why Sirius still hadn't uncorked the bottle and empty it of its contents yet. "Sorry you and everyone else had to clean up the mess we made."

Waving a dismissive hand, Sirius shook his head. "Turns out my dear cousin Lexi was just messing with us. She waved her wand and the entire place was cleaned up." Sirius chuckled. "Said it was the results of living with Tonks." He leaned back on the armchair and glanced towards the hallway where at the end sat Tonks' unimaginably messy room. "Can't imagine why," he mumbled sarcastically. "Also, she and the twins seemed to be exchanging a little laugh about time." Sirius shifted in his seat. "What are the Unspeakables up to, you think?"

Remus shrugged. In all honesty, he had no idea. All the books he ever read about them had very limited and often misleading information. "I've no idea," he replied. "Alexis does seem to be able to go around the charms that bind Unspeakables to keep silent however. Maybe you could ask her," he suggested.

Immediately, Sirius shook his head. "I find that a little dodgy," his raven-haired friend confessed. "I don't know much but I think there's more powerful magic bounding her…she's just fighting it, being a rebellious soul. Though whatever they're up to, Unspeakables have to be pretty adept in most subjects, aren't they? I mean, Lexi's lazy and not as fast as Tonks of course but her wandwork is still incredibly impressive."

"Yes," Remus nodded, thinking about all those times he'd seen Alexis utilize her wand and he wondered just what exactly the Unspeakables do in the Department of Mysteries. "Hey, Sirius, why haven't you opened the bottle yet?" Remus questioned, not that he wanted some, but he was simply curious for it never took Sirius that long.

Sirius looked down at the bottle of firewhiskey in his hands and shrugged. "Not quite sure, mate," he admitted. "I always grab a bottle when I'm tired but I'm not sure whether or not I really want to drink it yet." He bit his lips. "Figured it'd be better to hear her answer while sober rather than drunk off my boots."

"Answer?" Remus asked, sitting up. "Whose answer? Silvia's?"

Suddenly, Sirius smiled and shrugged, seeming surprisingly bashful. "Yeah."

"What'd you ask her?"

"Well, it was kind of spontaneous really, or maybe it's not. See, I thought of the conversation beforehand in my head, but then when I asked her, it just sort of spilled out," Sirius replied, pensive. "But at least I mean it. Although, it's not really the traditional way. I mean I did forget a few things."

Remus was sitting there, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "What?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and shook his head. Normally, he expected the ever brilliant and insightful Moony to figure things out with ease. That night however, Remus must be too tired to even make sense of what Sirius was saying. "I asked Lexi to schedule me a meeting with Silvia for dinner at The Three Broomsticks—to apologize, you know, and to work out what we're going to do about the pregnancy and stuff."

"And what did she say?" Remus asked instantly. "Or rather, what did _you_ say to her?"

"She wanted to move back to Spain—said she's got some relatives, aunts and uncles, over there that can help her. If you recall, Silv's entire family over here was murdered in the last war…. Anyways, I said that's a ridiculous idea. She'd have to make it on her own in Spain and she'd be separating the child from his or her father. Yes, Moony, I plan to carry out my duties as a father…you were right. So…well I sort of went into talking about this vision of paradise with her, got kind of lost in it, and then ended up asking her to marry me…."

Staring at his best friend, Remus was at a lost for word. He didn't really know what to say and settled on, "You've thought this through? You're not going to disappoint her again?"

Sirius nodded firmly. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'm certain."

For a long moment, Remus simply sat there and stared. Finally the day came when Sirius Black proposed to someone—Remus just didn't expect that day to come right then. He was happy for his friend, and finally after thinking over the long history Sirius and Silvia had had together, Remus realized that Sirius had to be pretty certain this time. He sat up, shifted slightly in his seat, and cleared his throat.

"What did she say?" Remus asked.

"She hasn't answered yet," Sirius sighed. "She was about to but then Tonks' blasted patronus had to come in," he grumbled.

Remus found himself chuckling, feeling much less burdened after helping Tonks arrest Barty Crouch Jr. and freeing the real Alastor Moody from his dank prison of nine months. Sirius' face had broken out a full grin as well and just as they began shaking their heads laughing softly, the door to the flat clicked and opened. Remus and Sirius turned their heads quickly to find Tonks, Alexis, and Silvia entered, looking tired but quite pleased with themselves.

"Wotcher," Tonks grinned and took her seat beside Remus, holding him and taking notice of his weariness with the fast approaching full moon.

"What else did you find out?" Sirius questioned as Silvia took a seat in the other armchair beside him and Alexis took the bottle of firewhiskey out of his hands and returned it to her shelf then took a seat on the windowsill.

"Nothing more," Tonks sighed and rested her head on Remus' chest as he quietly smiled and tightened his arms around her. "He's just an insane man, obsessed with finding and being of service to his master." Tonks was smiling despite the lack of further information Crouch gave them. She was pleased she'd finally caught him.

"His entire motive of coming to Hogwarts was to kill Harry," Silvia explained though she didn't look grim or worried now that Crouch was caught and at the Auror Office. "He seems to think that if he killed Harry and draw Harry's blood, You-Know-Who would be reborn. That's all we got from him and we had the Unspeakables administer another draught of Veritaserum on him—seems like the case is closed."

"Yes!" Tonks grinned. "He's being kept at the Auror Office for the time being before they clear a cell in Azkaban for him. Kingsley and Lexi want to interrogate him more though."

"Why?" Sirius asked, turning to Alexis who was distracted by something, looking thoughtful as she bit her lips—she looked like she'd forgotten something.

"I have a feeling he's lying," she said. "Crouch is a skilled Occlumens and there might be more information we could get from him. Kingsley Shacklebolt agrees with me. Even Marrick admit there might be more we could get."

"Who cares," Tonks sighed, stretching her arms. "I've turned my case into Scrimgeour. It's out of my hands now and I can finally relax! That old lion can't scold me anymore."

Remus smiled at Tonks' breath of relief. He then turned to Alexis. "Lexi, you seem worried," he pointed out. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, I'm forgetting something," she answered, thinking for a short moment. "Oh right, hey Tonksie where's my necklace?"

"Right," said Tonks, searching her pockets. Remus' eyes lit up and he noticed that Tonks had gone through all of her pockets several times and still the Ghost Necklace Alexis had given them earlier that day was nowhere in sight. "Bloody hell," Tonks groaned. "Where's it gone to?"

"You didn't drop it, did you?" Alexis sighed and leaned back on the cold glass window.

"I'm sure I didn't," said Tonks. "Oi, forget it Lexi, you've got plenty of them."

"Yes," Alexis said, rolling her eyes. "Tell Lexi to nick _another_ item from her department," she joked. "If I get in trouble it'll be your entire fault."

"Like you ever cared about getting in trouble," Sirius scoffed.

"Sorry cuz," Tonks smiled sheepishly, her pink hair turning dark, emerald green fleetingly. "I swear I had it though."

"Should we write to Harry and the others and ask him if they'd stumble upon it at Hogwarts?" Remus asked, taking Tonks' hands into his own.

"Later," Tonks sighed. "I'm happy, I'm tired, I'm done with my mission, and I want a nap. You should rest too, Remus, it's near the full moon and yet you had to catch Crouch for me. Thank you so much."

He smiled; his smile bright and gleaming. "It's nothing," he said. "I'm stronger than I look, really."

"Right, and minutes before you were just complaining about feeling old and aching all over," Sirius teased.

"Oh right, before we all take a nap," said Tonks, suddenly grinning in a mischievous manner. "Sirius, how did your day go?"

Sirius was confused at first. "What do you mean?" he asked but he had come to realize that like Remus, Alexis and Tonks had questioned Silvia and found out about his little question. Sirius turned to his other cousin and found out that she was also grinning now, her eyes darting between Silvia and him.

"So?" Remus smiled, deciding that since they all were in a mirthful mood, a little more happiness was nothing to complain about. "Reckon now's a good time to get your answer?"

Silently, Sirius' grey eyes turned to Silvia who was sitting quietly beside him, her cheeks bearing more color than it had been for the past several days. She looked less frail and haggard and the small but genuine smile on her face was brilliant. "So…." Sirius said. "Silvia?"

"Hang on," said Tonks. "This isn't how it's supposed to be done at all!"

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked shortly.

"For one thing, you're supposed to be on one knee," Alexis said, smirking. "And for another, you never _really_ said the word."

"And where's the bloody ring?" Tonks asked. "Merlin's beard," she sighed. "I thought Sirius knew how to do these things."

Remus was sitting back, trying hard to suppress his laugh. "It's his first time, love."

"Ring?" Tonks continued to question, enjoying the moment too much—she'd always loved torturing Sirius and by the deep flush that had appeared on his cheeks, she was most definitely succeeding.

"I'll get to it!" he groaned, suppressing a smile. Blushing, Sirius Black got on one knee in front of Silvia who too was looking extremely nervous. "Err; this is a very bad place to ask. I swear I'll make it up to you," said Sirius gently though grinning broadly. "But err—Silvia, will you marry me?"

"Yes," Silvia grinned instantly, having wanted to tell him the word the moment he asked her the first time, through the unspoken words.

As Sirius pulled Silvia into a loving embrace, Tonks turned to Remus whom she saw was smiling just as brilliantly as the newly engaged couple. She wondered how he felt, seeing his best friends become engaged. Wordlessly, Tonks shifted closer to him and Remus tightened his arms around her, his hands still holding onto hers and his fingers seemed to stroke hers gently. Tonks closed her eyes for a moment, relishing in the beautiful feeling of great relief and satisfaction. She'd closed her case, made an arrest with her lover, and watched as her cousin and best friend finally sealed the deal. Everything happened just as the morning sun came and when Tonks opened her eyes again to look out the window, she noticed the sun rising from behind her cousin who was seated on the windowsill, smiling. Tonks had to admit there was something impressive about the picture as the sun rose brilliantly behind Alexis' back, making her look as if she was glowing. Tonks' smile widened.

"Reckon we can go to bed now?" Tonks asked softly.

"Of course," Remus nodded.

"I think we should get married fast," said Sirius suddenly and Tonks and Remus turned to look at him. "Before you start showing," he grinned to Silvia.

"Git," she said.

"Idiot," Remus and Tonks sighed, shaking their heads. "Let's go, love," Remus smiled, his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier. "Sirius and Silvia will probably be awake for the whole day anyways. No use telling them to get some rest."

Smiling, Tonks followed Remus blindly into her room, collapsing with him upon her soft and comfy bed, and shifting so that she lay comfortably in his arms. Their weariness helped them give in to the sweet temptation of sleep. Approaching the good night of worriless dreams they haven't had since summer, Remus and Tonks quickly drifted into soft and gentle sleep, fingers intertwined and embraced in each other's warm arms. Tonks was still smiling as she blinked several times, catching the last of the radiant morning light before darkness pressed upon her eyelids like a weightless veil.


	33. Of Child's Play and Adult Games

**Author's Note:**

This chapter is kind of like a play around with my characters kind of thing for me, fun and games, etc., I hope you don't mind. And also, no full moon scenes, I'm sorry for those hoping for it :( But we'll save the full-moon-goodness for the next story ;D As for right now, I hope you enjoy this one. Thank you! xD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 33 – Of Child's Play and Adult Games<strong>

The full intoxication of happiness did not drown Remus until he woke up into the late morning, blue eyes nearly blinded by the glorious sunlight that cascaded through Tonks' half-closed curtains. He blinked several times before smiling and relaxing significantly in the incredibly warm bed occupied by him and his lover who was still fast asleep, mumbling slightly in what Remus thought was a different language. He laid back for once, his mind empty and staring up at the empty ceiling that sat like a waiting canvas. Remus laid a hand on his head and his other arm shifted to pull Tonks closer to himself. He smiled.

For the past several months, Tonks was struck with a silent worry and a forced ambition to finish her case. But now, Remus held her sleeping body in his arms and knew that all the worry and all the troubles have subsided. Tonks was done with her case. No longer did he have to worry about her losing sleep. No longer did he have to worry about Tonks falling into a sulky mood. She would be her happy and jubilant self again, and he could not wait for her to wake up from her slumber. In fact, Remus was so anxious to see the happy, carefree, and vibrant Nymphadora Tonks again that he was bordering the decision to wake her up himself.

"I probably shouldn't," he mumbled quietly.

She stirred in his arms and he looked down. Tonks yawned before she opened her eyes and when her eyelids lifted, he felt as if euphoria was staring right back at him through two twinkling shards of emerald. "Shouldn't what?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "Nothing," he said, putting his hand behind his head and laying upon it. His smile widened. "Nothing at all."

"Liar," she said, shifting again and throwing her arm around him, stretching out the heavy black auror robes in which she'd wearily fallen asleep in just hours ago. "You were thinking about waking me up, weren't you?"

He looked at her again, amused. "How'd you know?" His warm breath caressed the soft skin of her face as the fluffy white clouds caressed the glorious sun in the blue skies outside.

"When you sleep in the same bed with a person…you just start to know things," said Tonks mysteriously with a light and airy voice. "Blimey—no wonder dad couldn't keep shite from mum," she mused aloud, giggling.

Remus tightened his arms around her, hugging her with both arms now. It soon seemed as if they were competing with each other to see who could give a tighter hug as Tonks was tightening her arms around him and he was holding her as tightly but yet still as tenderly as he possibly could have anything.

"You're not going to win," she told him. "I've been through auror training."

"I've been through school with your cousin," Remus replied, tightening his hold still though making sure that he wasn't hurting her—he was very careful with his delicate lover.

"Touché," Tonks replied. "Wow!" She exclaimed. "I feel really good this morning!"

Mirroring her, he loosened his hold so that they were comfortable in each other's arms once more. Remus had not noticed that he'd reverted to using his legs to bind her when he glanced down and saw that their legs were tangled together. Laughing, he straightened himself out just as she began to tickle his foot with her own in her radiant mood.

"You feel wonderful?"

"I feel _brilliant_," she grinned. "I can't explain why."

"Hmm," he said, pretending to be pensive. "Is it because you've just completed a very harsh case, or your cousin is getting married at last, or you've just woken up in bed with a very kind man?" he asked, smirking.

"I think it's the case," said Tonks, playfully pushing him away now.

"I could care less about Sirius getting married," she lied. It was a terrible lie. Remus could hear the excitement falling out of her words as she spoke. "And waking up next to a kind man? You've got to be kidding me!" she laughed.

"I _am_ kind," he said, sticking his tongue out. "I'm the nicest bloke I know."

Tonks' eyes twinkled and her grin widened, practically glowing under the morning light. She was glad that now, Remus could find a little more confidence within himself. It was the first time she ever heard him complement himself, even if in a joking manner.

"You keep telling yourself that, love," she smiled at him.

_BANG!_

"Sirius you dolt!" Alexis' voice bellowed from outside the bedroom door.

Remus and Tonks looked at each other. They were filled with rising giddiness, feeling not only happy but a combination of all of the positive and warming feelings of the world. "Looks like something's going on outside," said Remus.

"Let's go." Tonks was bouncing up to her feet with a graceful leap off the bed. She slipped out of her heavy work robes, wearing simply a light blue blouse and dark blue jeans. "I wonder why I didn't take it off last night," said Tonks, carelessly kicking her robes over to a pile on the ground that Remus assumed was where she put the dirty laundry.

"No idea, love," he smiled, following quickly in her wake after neatly hanging up his overcoat on the unused hanger behind her door, rushing out in a comfortable pair of dark brown trousers and a blue shirt, unnoticing that several of his top buttons were undone. "What's going on?" he asked just as he entered the living room.

"What was that sound?" Tonks questioned, stretching her arms as she did so.

"Sirius tried cooking breakfast," Alexis sighed, looking weary and sleep deprived. Tonks was careful and Remus had grown to know that Alexis was always a lot touchier when she was sleep deprived. "His coordination failed him."

"Oi, help me up, will you," groaned Sirius, sitting on the floor amidst a pile of pots and pans. Remus noticed that dark circles encased his grey eyes but he was grinning rather foolishly.

"Here," said Silvia, looking, like Sirius, split between tiredness and happiness. She pulled him up with ease and with a flick of her wand, returned the pots and pans to their place.

"Blimey, did any of you get any sleep at all?" Tonks asked.

Alexis ruefully shook her head while Sirius and Silvia said, "Nope."

"What were you doing?" Remus asked, unable to help his curiosity.

"Planning," Sirius grinned and jumped slightly where he stood.

"For what?" Tonks questioned.

Before Sirius or Silvia, both of whom looked like they were about to burst with genuine excitement despite their weary faces, could answer Tonks' question, Alexis already did for them. She dragged herself over to the wooden stool and collapsed upon it while saying, "The ruddy couple was planning for their wedding. Bloody hell, you'd think they'd be able to do it themselves but _no_, they had to get _me_ of all people!"

"Well Remus and Tonks were already asleep," said Silvia innocently.

"And you said you weren't sleeping right away," said Sirius.

"I wasn't planning on staying awake all morning either!" Alexis groaned, rubbing her face vigorously. "I hate my cousins."

Remus smiled and spoke just as Tonks indignantly yelled, "Hey, don't drag me into this!" to Alexis. "Why are you planning for your wedding so early, Padfoot?" he asked.

"We were thinking about having it over the Easter holiday," said Sirius. "We can convince Dumbledore to let the kids out of the castle for a few days because it's a bloody holiday! Also, if we wait till summer," his voice lowered as if Silvia couldn't hear him. "Silvia might not fit in a dress!" he told Remus, earning himself a thump in the head by his fiancée.

"And the Easter holiday is only a month away, so we've got lots to do," said Silvia.

"Which means more help is necessary," Sirius added while pulling Remus and Tonks by their arms over to the kitchen counter where Alexis sat, struggling not to fall asleep. "You need to help us too," said Sirius. It sounded like a command.

"How did _we_ get dragged into this?" Tonks questioned Remus quietly as Sirius scattered a pile of bridal and wedding magazines in front of them.

"Because _I'm_ his best friend and _you're_ his cousin," Remus sighed, shaking his head although smiling. "Blame our lucks, love."

Tonks scoffed. "I haven't brushed my teeth yet," she complained. "And I want breakfast. I feel like I haven't eaten for months!"

"Complain later, help now," said Sirius strictly as he joined Silvia in pouring over a magazine that looked similar to the rest in their massive pile. Remus briefly wondered how they managed to find so many magazines in the course of the last few hours.

* * *

><p>April came unexpectedly, bearing an extremely early spring and plenty of bright, sunny days. March's full moon was much kinder to Remus than any of the past and when Tonks came to him the morning after he was already awake and slowly getting dressed. The rest of March came by in a blur as Tonks was involuntarily busied by Sirius with his wedding plans and preparations. She never knew him as one to plan things out so thoroughly and was awfully surprised when he did—he seemed even more worked up than Silvia.<p>

At work, Kingsley, several other aurors, Alexis and two other Unspeakables Tonks did not know the name of, were still interrogating Crouch. Tonks would often watch them while doing simple and easy although albeit mundane paperwork that, for once, she was glad to be doing. Alexis would often drop by, complaining about Sirius and Silvia's love being "sickening to watch" and nag Tonks about losing her Ghost Necklace which still remained lost, probably somewhere in the corridors of Hogwarts or its library.

On a particularly warm day towards the middle of April, Tonks and Remus found themselves in the heart of London, clutching a bright red shopping bag in which contained Moody's wooden leg and magical eye, along with an elegant white invitation from Sirius and Silvia who were too busy and lately, nervously flustered, to come. Under the gleaming sunlight that seem to cast an airy lightness over the entire city of London, Remus and Tonks approached a shabby, red-brick building bearing the name _Purge and Dowse, Ltd._ Following the typical queue, Tonks and Remus went up to the dusty front window of the building where several ugly and old dummies sat. Tonks leaned close to the sheet of glass, eyeing a female dummy skeptically.

"I wonder if this is the one I'm supposed to talk to," she said. "I've been brought here unconscious more often than not and can't remember."

Remus smiled. Tonks had tended to ramble a lot more lately after the end of her case, but he was not complaining. On the contrary, he always loved hearing everything she had to say as she was such an interesting woman in his eyes. "Give it a go anyways," he said. "We'll just look like two completely insane people whispering to dummies if we get it wrong," he smiled.

"Git," she said jokingly before leaning closer, her breath fogging the sheet of glass, and whispered, "Wotcher…we're here to see Mad-Eye-I mean-Alastor Moody."

There was a moment of questionable silence before the dummy nodded and its plastic finger beckoned them forward. Remus and Tonks smiled, stepping forth inconspicuously into the glass and entering the inside of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Immediately, without wasting time, Tonks made her way to the grumpy witch behind the receptions desk and asked her for Alastor Moody. The witch pointed them to room 484 on the fourth floor, the Spell Damage Ward.

When they entered the ward, they were not surprised to find a grumpy Mad-Eye Moody lying restlessly on his bed, the curtains drawn closed around him and he was grumbling angrily to himself. His hair was grown back and combed but streaked with grey, his face had more color to it looking much healthier, and he was sitting upright, leaning against the headboard of the metal bed. The only thing that looked strange about Moody was the gaping black hole over his left eye where his magical eye usually was. His many scars and battle marks seem to have become unnoticeable as was the wooden leg he was missing while his lower body was wrapped warmly by the white hospital blanket.

"Wotcher Mad-Eye," said Tonks, bouncing gracelessly over to him, tripping and luckily was caught by Remus once before arriving safely at the foot of Moody's bed. "Blimey, you don't look happy at all," she said, smiling.

"Hello Alastor," Remus greeted. "Feeling alright?"

Moody rolled his eye at Tonks and turned to Remus. "Dismal," he answered. "They're keeping me here for another night! Honestly, what more reassurance do they need that I am perfectly capable of walking on my own?" he demanded in his usual growling voice.

"They probably need to see the other leg," Tonks laughed, pointing to the stump under Moody's white blanket. "In which case, I have." She took the leg out of her scarlet red shopping bag and handed it to Moody who immediately screwed it back on.

"Thanks," he grumbled. "That bastard Crouch, wait till I get my hands on him."

"See Mad-Eye, this is exactly the reason why they won't let you out of St. Mungo's," said Tonks. "They think you're insane and somewhat homicidal!"

Remus contented himself with sitting back and watching the mentor and student converse. He found it interesting, trying to understand more of the incredibly strong bond between Mad-Eye Moody, a man he once thought had no emotions and no affection towards anyone, and Nymphadora Tonks, the most colorful woman in the world. It made Remus curious.

"You're still as lippy and downright disrespectful as ever, I see," Moody grunted.

"At least I wasn't trapped in my own trunk for nine months," Tonks retorted.

Remus shook his head. "Oh Nymphadora," he sighed. "That wasn't nice to say at all."

Tonks looked earnestly apologetic and immediately said, "Sorry Mad-Eye."

But Moody seemed to have taken no offense to her. "I've grown used to it over the years," he told Remus. "You wouldn't believe how much I wanted to slap her the first time I met her," Moody turned and told Remus.

His eyes lit up. Remus thought that he might be lucky enough to hear a bit about how Nymphadora and Mad-Eye Moody first met each other after all. He smiled, kept a pleasant face, and listened aptly, hoping that their reminiscence would continue. Luckily for Remus' curious mind, it did and Tonks continued on, beaming.

"I was in a terribly bad mood that morning," Tonks told Remus, recalling the day rather fondly. "Just passed the written portion of the Auror Admissions Exam," she began. "Lexi was supposed to wake me up early since this old codger here," she gestured to Moody who snorted, "wanted to meet early in the morning. Unfortunately, Lexi doesn't have work till nine and doesn't every wake up till eight so I ran in late—"

The retelling was taken over by Moody as if the two were taking turns. Remus was always good at keeping his excitement concealed and sat quietly in the chairs he and Tonks had pulled up, listening to Moody now with rapt attention. "Her robes were barely on straight and she looked as if she was still in her pajamas," said Moody in a low grunt but containing a tone of fondness nonetheless. "She had the worse scores out of all the students lined up. There were five of them you see, five people having passed all previous tests to become an Auror, five people waiting to be trained by me and to take the final test. When Tonks came in, I read over her name and as you can expect…"

"I scolded him, making it insanely clear that he can _never_, _ever_, under any circumstances, call me Nymphadora," Tonks grinned.

"Yes, yes, and then she proceeded to annoy me with tripping up all over the place, retorting to my directions and expectations about being an auror, and provoking one of the other students," Moody continued, shaking his head.

Remus smiled and couldn't stop himself when he said, "Typical Nymphadora."

Tonks thumped him and for the first time that day, Moody laughed.

"Anyways, by the time I was done with my speech, I was ready to clonk her on the head and demand that she leave. However, I had no proper reason to kick her out for as impudent as she was, she was somehow careful never to cross the line."

"That's what seven years at Hogwarts and detention with every single teacher teaches you," Tonks interjected happily.

Moody continued on as if uninterrupted. "I took them all out to a training field afterwards as a secret test—told them all to relax and wait. Then I struck up a fight with them, hoping to see how well their dueling skills were and how fast their reaction time was. Surprisingly, Tonks was the best out of the five. She had her wand up her sleeve for god's sake!"

Tonks suddenly laughed uncontrollably. "He forgot something," said Tonks. "He told us, me, three other blokes, and a rather manly chick, to wait for him in the field while he leaves to get something. I was standing there, humming to myself, and they were all stern-faced, their wand well hidden under their robes. Me, I had my wand in my back pocket." Moody grumbled something that sounded like "elementary wand safety" but Tonks continued on. "I thought I looked unprofessional out of all of them, what with the funny sight of my long wand sticking out, so I took it and shoved it up my sleeve. I don't know why—just thought aurors were not supposed to have their wand visible…that was the impression the other four gave me."

"Ignorant," Moody shook his head. "However when I started fighting them, she showed me real skill that no accidental placement of a wand shows. She could jump and dodge everything, albeit ungracefully and she tripped over her own two feet more times than I could count, but somehow she remained unscathed."

"Brilliant, Nymphadora," Remus grinned and Tonks blushed, causing his heart to race and his body tense, feeling flustered.

"Once I was done with them, Tonks was entirely unharmed while the four others were hit with several rather hilarious jinxes and hexes," Moody laughed again, sounding like a mad cackle but pleasant nonetheless. "That was an introduction to the first lesson: an auror has to be ready for battle at any given time—"

"Constant vigilance," Tonks groaned, rolling her eyes. "That was what _all_ the lessons were about." She turned to Remus. "You wouldn't imagine how many times this old bat suddenly whipped out his wand and started throwing hexes at me! For the first week, I was so paranoid I couldn't go to sleep without my wand!"

"And you shouldn't!" Moody emphasized.

"Oh she doesn't," Remus smiled, assuring the old auror.

Tonks merely smiled and again blushed as she pushed Remus' knee with her own.

"Being an auror is no child's play—"

"Being an auror is playing a game that most adults lose at. It's a serious and dangerous thing," said Tonks robotically, rolling her eyes. "You said it about a hundred times the next day."

Looking at the man, Remus could see that Moody was actually hiding a look of satisfaction when he realized Tonks still remembers his every word. "I always wondered why I picked her out of the other four," said Moody. "Guess it was the nerves," he admitted, looking at Tonks, warmly, in the eyes for once. "Nobody ever had the guts to backtalk and downright insult me straight to my face ever before without fear of being cursed," he told them.

"Nobody had the guts to look you in the eye without your approval," Remus admitted lamely under his breath, recalling his first encounter with Mad-Eye Moody while a part of the Order of the Phoenix many years ago—he, Sirius, and James were literally daring each other to introduce themselves to Moody as if it was a suicide attempt.

Having heard Remus' quiet confession, Tonks laughed and said, "Imagine how Lexi reacted when he first dropped into our flat yelling constant vigilance," she said. "Lexi had a heart attack! I thought she was about to die!"

Moody smiled at the memory. Remus could tell he found his time with Tonks to be very amusing indeed. Their conversations continued and branched out into more and more topics until they reached the early afternoon when Tonks' stomach began growling to the point where it was audible. She looked around, embarrassed, and smiled at Remus and Moody.

"Looks like I'll have to see you later, Mad-Eye," she said, having lost track of time, lost in conversations with Remus and her beloved mentor. "Oh and before I forget," he said, pulling out the invitation from the red bag at their feet. "Sirius and Silvia are getting married and you're invited! It's in a few days, on the fifteenth, during the Easter break. You better show up."

"I will," said Moody in a warm voice. "Wouldn't want to miss this," he admitted and Remus understood why. "Sirius Black getting married, ha! To Silvia nonetheless," Moody smiled and though his voice was less-than-gentle, Remus could see that the man, over time, had actually grown to care about all of them. "Sirius is in way over his head if he messes with her. You haven't seen what Silvia can do."

Remus smiled. "I have a faint idea," he said, recalling the many times Silvia had lashed out upon Sirius when they were still in school—it was a scary sight.

"No, seriously," said Tonks, laughing and shaking her head. "You haven't seen what she can do. Even the people at St. Mungo's didn't know what to do to help that unlucky bloke."

Smiling still, he was feeling slightly worried for his best friend now. Sirius was known to provoke Silvia more often than not and now that they were going to be married….

"And one more thing," said Tonks before they left. She reached into the red bag a final time and pulled out the large, plastic container that contained Moody's magical eye rolling around in the water that filled it to the brim. "You wouldn't be Mad-Eye without your eye."

Moody took it and made a face. "That damn tosspot Crouch had contaminated it."

"Oh for goodness sake," said Tonks, rolling her eyes and opening the container to take out his eye. "It's been in there for days. It's clean now," she assured him and before she even realized what she was doing, Tonks had grabbed onto the eye and placed it gently back into the black eye socket, positioning it properly for him and leaning back to gaze at him purposefully. "There," she said. "Good as new. Reckon they can let you leave the hospital now," she smiled.

"Thanks," Moody said and Remus saw the hint of the kindest, warmest, most genuine smile on the man's rough and calloused, scar-crossed face.

Remus and Tonks left the hospital ward, walking out hand in hand and smiling. Once the doors to the ward closed behind them and Moody was no longer in view, Remus suddenly laughed when Tonks shuddered and wiped her still wet hand upon her patched jeans. He took out his wand and cleaned her hand for her with a simple charm while Tonks pretended to gag and shiver on their way to the staircase.

"Never again," she said, shaking her head as Remus continued to laugh.

"It was a nice thing to do," Remus smiled.

"He's lucky I love him," said Tonks. "But I am _never_ touching that eye again."

* * *

><p>The day of the wedding came by swiftly and unexpectedly. The air was moist and the ground was still specked with rain puddles but the sun appeared brilliantly behind thinning clouds, cascading golden lights and creating traces of rainbows in wake of the rain. In the middle of a garden on the grounds of Hogsmeade Village, a gathering of people were anxiously waiting amidst the budding flower beds, beneath glistening white drapes and canopies. It was a motley crowd, all in witches' and wizards' dress robes from the most fashionable to the most peculiar.<p>

Looking up at the brightening sky, Remus let out a sigh. He shook his head at his anxious friend while straightening the scarlet red ascot that was choking his own neck. "Looks like the rain has cleared up," he said, glancing again at the sky overhead. "Reckon we should tell Kingsley and Marrick to drop the barrier?"

Sirius, dashing and darkly handsome as he had been when he was a teenager, was much too anxious to listen. For the past half hour, he'd been bouncing on his feet, growing more and more nervous, wondering when the wedding ceremony would start. He mindlessly picked at the buttons of his black and white dress robes to the point where Remus noticed they were now crooked and one button had fallen off.

"Sirius?" Remus called again. He sighed then proceeded to fix Sirius' attire for him.

"How long do you think it's going to take them?" Sirius mumbled. "I can't take it out here. Now I knew why James was about to wet himself standing at the end of the aisle."

Remus patted his friend and attempted to make him feel more at ease. "Hey, at least you remembered the ring and won't run the risk of forgetting to say 'I do' like James did."

That was partially successful. A smile cracked Sirius' lips and he chuckled. "Yeah, that was the funniest sight I ever saw—the idiot was so nervous he couldn't pronounce the words 'I do'. Bet Lily was worried."

"Oh she was turning almost as red as her hair," Remus smiled, reminiscent.

"Blimey, why'd we invite so many?" Sirius mumbled. "They're making me jumpy."

Blue eyes looked around. Remus didn't think the crowd was too much—they were mostly people they knew. All of the teachers at Hogwarts were there, except for Snape—Sirius made it sure not to invite Severus Snape as if it would torture him not to receive an invitation. Remus shook his head. He spotted the entire Weasley clan scattered amongst the crowd. Harry was upon them, conversing, laughing. Hermione and her parents had joined them as well, having never gone to a wizard wedding. Remus wondered what they'd think of the after party….

"Don't worry," Remus comforted. "Calm down a bit. Here, have a look around. Look, there's Harry, _he's_ having fun." Remus pointed to Harry who was sharing a laugh with Fred and George Weasley over something. "Oh looks like they've just done something bad to Ron," said Remus, growing worried. "That's not nice."

Sirius snorted. "Harry's kind of blind," he smiled. "You know, watching _him_ grow up makes me realize how blind _we_ were way back then."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, behind him," said Sirius, gesturing to Ginny who was standing beside Hermione, conversing in hushed whispers, red-faced. "Ginny obviously has a crush on him."

"Why don't you tell Harry?"

"It would be unnatural. We need to let teenage relationships and romances progress naturally otherwise they'd just get all awkward with each other. Trust me, you can be the same way sometimes too, Moony."

"What?" Remus questioned, bemused. He was pretty sure he wasn't a teenager anymore.

Luckily, Sirius seemed to have calmed down quite a bit as he was chuckling now. "Oh thank you Merlin dear cousin Lexi let me keep that picture," he laughed.

Now it was Remus' turn to worry. "What picture?" he inquired.

"Remember last year's Christmas at the Shrieking Shack?"

"Yeah?" said Remus apprehensively.

"I managed to get a picture of you and Tonks sleeping together after the full moon." He snickered. "Lexi said you two were _cute_." He laughed, his laughter sounding like a bark. "Lexi asked if we should give you and Tonksie a little push since you two were obviously in love but weren't together then. I told her we should let things progress naturally."

But Remus heard nothing more of the explanation. His mind was still lingering on about the picture Sirius had taken of him and Nymphadora. "Wait a minute," he said. "After the full moon…bloody hell, Sirius, I was naked!"

And Sirius' laughter grew, drawing kind attention from the crowd that surrounded them. Moody's wand was out and Remus saw a witch beside the man jump in shock as if he'd just accidentally stunned her or something of the like.

"Hush up, will you," said Remus, growing red from embarrassment.

"Oh no worries you were laying on your side," Sirius laughed. His laughter suddenly turned abruptly into a choke and soon Sirius stopped making any sound at all. Remus had to cast him a glance to make sure that he was still breathing.

While Remus, the best man, and Sirius Black, the groom, stood at the end of the aisle, there the women were, at the beginning. Remus looked up, wondering how his best friend must be feeling. He'd been to James' wedding before and now Sirius was displaying the very same behavior. His blue eyes found Silvia's smiling face behind the white veil—she was bursting with excitement. Remus wondered how pleasant the feeling of happiness would be, how it felt for mirth to absolutely drown a person because they were marrying the woman they love. He swallowed. Before Remus could expect it, Nymphadora Tonks emerged from behind Silvia, adorning a beautiful, satin red gown that flowed down to the grown, strapless, while a lovely ruby necklace highlighted her appearance and her brilliant smile made her absolutely radiant.

Silvia was the beautiful bride, and it was her happiest day. Remus could see her stealing the breath away of many attending the party. Even _he_ had to admit, Silvia was heavenly gorgeous and her darkly beautiful features matched Sirius entirely while her yielding but stable personality brought control to Sirius' life. Remus smiled. His friend was amazing, yes, but at that moment, he only had eyes for the lovely bridesmaid beside her.

Tonks was bouncing as she walked up and joined Remus, her hair blonde and in equally energetic curls. She nearly tripped once but he'd come across a useful charm in a book he read that prevented her from falling. He mumbled it under his breath.

"Wotcher," she smiled and whispered to him.

"Wotch-I mean, hello, Nymphadora," he smiled, still slightly red from earlier.

"Beautiful, ain't she?" Tonks asked, admiring Silvia. "Wish I could be like that one day."

Remus didn't speak but instead he took her hand and pressed it slightly, as if assuring her that her _one day_ would come. Remus and Tonks exchanged brief but warm and loving glances before returning to the wedding where Albus Dumbledore had just taken the stage, standing up as the person to marry Sirius and Silvia.

"Sirius looks really nervous," said Tonks in a hushed whisper.

"How was Silvia?" Remus wondered.

"She was about to have a heart attack," Tonks said, stifling a laugh. "Molly had to give her a calming draught and my mum was comforting her." And Remus looked. There was Andromeda and Ted Tonks, sitting in the front row, Andromeda's eyes glossy with tears as she watched her beloved cousin, one whom Remus knew she considered a younger brother, get married. He knew, none of them ever thought of seeing the day but life goes on and with time, things will change. Remus had long found out it was a promise of being alive.

"Silvia got so nervous she dropped a tea tray on Lexi's hand," Tonks laughed, now discreetly directing Remus' attention to Alexis black who stood across the aisle from them, fittingly beside her boyfriend Marrick.

Remus drew a quick breath. Alexis reminded him of the whole of the Black family line, her patrician beauty in its young and blossoming years were bursting through the seams. She stood elegantly in her velvet red gown identical to Tonks', her eyes twinkling as a grin was plastered upon her face. Remus couldn't help but smile as well and return his attention to Sirius, Silvia, and Albus Dumbledore. Suddenly, the smile turned into a smirk.

"Oh dear," Remus said, unable to help but let out a small laugh.

"What's he doing?" said Tonks, watching Sirius with a curious look.

"I think he's forgotten how to talk," said Remus, trying to hide his grin.

Tonks laughed and covered her mouth quickly then whispered, "Bloody hell, I didn't think someone could get so nervous!"

"Oh trust me, it's happened before with James," Remus smiled, watching, amused as Silvia turned red and smiled at Sirius who was still having trouble coming out of his stutter.

To help his friend, Remus cleared his throat subtly and said, "Padfoot, Prongs would say you're a disgrace," he a muffled whisper behind his hand. Fortunately, Sirius seemed to have heard him, exchanged a brief glance with him, and inhaled a deep breath.

"Sirius?" said Dumbledore, raising an amused eyebrow.

"Sirius," Silvia hissed with unmoving lips.

"I do," Sirius grinned and let out a sigh of relief.

Dumbledore leaned back and smiled. "By the power bestowed upon me, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride Sirius…that is, if you have the nerve to." He winked.

* * *

><p>"I GOT THE BOUQUET!" Tonks exclaimed, triumphantly holding up the gorgeous bouquet of flowers—an assortment of vividly red roses. She was jumping around, waving her prize in her cousin's face. Tonks had literally leapt over Alexis' head to catch the bouquet. Remus simply stood behind her, watching his lover with a grin upon his face.<p>

"You twat! Come back here!" Alexis replied though bearing a mirthful smile. She then began chasing Tonks and Remus realized why he always loved wizard parties.

"Ah!" Tonks yelped as she was tackled to the ground.

Alexis had jumped up in the air and grabbed onto Tonks and both cousins fell upon the ground, rolling around and laughing. Remus watched for a brief moment until he and Marrick, both wearing embarrassed but amused faces, pried their girlfriends off of each other.

"Lexi, Lexi, goodness!" Marrick grunted, having trouble removing Alexis from her pink haired cousin. "I can't believe you're _this_ strong!" He croaked before succeeding.

Remus breathed. "You and Lexi can scare us sometimes," he sighed to Tonks.

"What? It's fun!" Tonks grinned, hugging him. Remus had nearly forgotten—Tonks had had several glasses of firewhiskey before the ceremony even started.

"It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt," Remus told her placidly.

"But you're a Marauder," said Tonks. "You have no room to talk."

Remus smiled. "Let's just refrain from tackling our cousins down, all right, love?"

"All right, new game then," Tonks smiled brightly. "Would you like to join me?"

"Ah, how about a dance first?" he asked, leading Tonks over to where many people were dancing in strange ways and where Sirius and Silvia had taken center stage. "May I have this dance?" he asked sweetly.

"Of course," Tonks grinned. "But you're helping me beat Lexi in the Firewhiskey Chugging Contest afterwards."

As they headed over to Sirius and Silvia, Remus took Tonks' hand gently and placed his other hand upon her waist. Many years ago, at Lily and James' wedding, Remus had been afraid to go anywhere near the dance floor, but now there he was, with Nymphadora Tonks and smiling as if _he_ was the happiest man on the face of the Earth. They swept by Sirius and Silvia several times before the newly wedded couple lingered around them—Sirius was planning something out with Tonks.

"Did you ask for his help yet?" Sirius asked, nodding his head to Remus.

"Yeah, he said he'll help," Tonks replied, giggling. Remus had to admit that her giddiness was rather contagious. His smile was widening.

"Wait, what did I promise to help with?" Remus questioned.

Silvia was shaking her head saying, "It's futile—she's unbeatable."

Remus was more confused now. "What?"

"We need to come up with a plan on how to win the Firewhiskey Chugging Contest," Sirius explained, dancing with Silvia close to Remus and Tonks. "We've got Arthur to compete, Fred and George, Trelawney, Flitwick, Rosmerta, Tonks, me, and of course, the reigning champion, Lexi. Now we need to worry about beating Lexi."

"Err…" Remus didn't think this was a very good idea. A couple of wildly drunken wizards at a wedding was never a good idea, especially if one of them was a Marauder and—Remus gulped—the other was Nymphadora Tonks.

"Come on," Sirius pleaded. "It's my wedding! Help me!"

"Please, Remus?" Tonks pleaded with twinkling puppy eyes, making Remus feel the temperature increase dramatically. "Lexi can chug down three bottles no problem and she starts getting a little tipsy on her fourth. I'm lucky if I can do three!"

"And I pass out by my fifth," said Sirius.

"Um…" said Remus apprehensively while Silvia said, "This is going to end badly."

"You can try lacing some of it with water?" Remus suggested weakly.

Tonks and Sirius' eyes lit up like the rising sun. "Simple," said Tonks. "But brilliant!"

"Nymphie, you go sort it out," Sirius commanded.

But Remus laughed when Tonks protested and he was lucky he'd moved his foot before hand as she'd just stomped hard on the ground. "Why me? I'm dancing!"

"Well it's _my_ wedding!" said Sirius, sticking his tongue out.

Silvia face-palmed herself and shook her head. Remus had to resist the urge to do the same, looking at his best friend and his lover. Oh he was going to have a strange night.

* * *

><p>"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"<p>

The crowd was chanting endlessly as a mass of already giddy people chugged down one bottle of firewhiskey after another. Remus stood to the side with Silvia, both ready to catch anyone if they collapsed from alcohol-overdose. Remus was growing more and more worried as each second ticked by and each bottle on the table became empty. Alexis Black had emptied her entire haul of whiskey that night and Remus knew Alexis' haul was…well, massive was an understatement.

Remus watched as Filius Flitwick, his old colleague, swayed dangerously where he stood after finally finishing his first bottle. Fortunately, Ron was there to catch him and prevented his head from colliding with the ground. The next to fall was Trelawney, halfway through her second bottle—Remus was surprised. He'd always thought she could handle a lot more given the strong scent of sherry he always smelled when near her. Arthur dropped out next, raising both hands in the air and staggering his way back to his wife who stood with her arms akimbo while he laughed and hugged her tightly, causing her to blush profusely. Remus knew Molly couldn't keep her stern look for long when Arthur, in a drunken stupor, was trying to kiss her.

His eyes returned to the dangerous competition at hand. Between Tonks and Alexis, things had grown personal. Tonks was on her third bottle, determination firing in her eyes while Alexis was simply downing the last of her third bottle, her face not even red—Remus was impressed and a little scared at the same time. Sirius, he knew, was settling an old debt with Rosmerta who finally collapsed once they finished their own third bottle of whiskey and Sirius jumped, nearly falling to the ground. Fred and George were commentating, causing many laughs as they were forbidden to drink by Molly who, Remus saw, was still blushing as Arthur was trying to kiss her. He was yelling "Mollywobbles" loudly as he did so.

"Witches and wizards are very strange," said Silvia quietly to Remus. The smile on her face seemed everlasting when he glanced at her.

"Oh yes we are," Remus sighed, shaking his head. "Who do you think will win?"

"Lexi," Silvia answered immediately as if it was a fact.

"But Sirius and Tonks laced several bottles with water."

Laughing, Silvia shook her head. "No they didn't."

Curious, Remus raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Lexi's entire haul is charmed with a special spell I helped her create. It's to keep the alcoholic contents in there to age faster and also cancels out the effects of water and other, according to Lexi, 'nonessential ingredients for intoxication'." She was laughing now as Sirius and Tonks finally realized that they were quickly growing deeply intoxicated and they were losing as Alexis had only begun to blush on her fourth bottle. "Besides, we've all confirmed that Lexi's blood must be laced with firewhiskey. Her tolerance level is scary."

Remus laughed but said, "I'm getting worried. I've never seen Nymphadora drunk."

"You'll be fine," Silvia assured him and patted his shoulder.

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Marrick Kingston, both looking incredibly worried. "Kingsley, Marrick, what's wrong?" Remus asked.

"We got an alert from the Ministry," said Kingsley, holding out his gleaming silver auror badge to Silvia. "Only a few of the other aurors got the message," he gestured to the few aurors apologizing and extracting themselves from the party. "Something's wrong at the Ministry."

"Bloody hell. Then I've got to go!" said Silvia.

Marrick shook his head immediately. "No, it's your wedding, you stay no matter what," he smiled, "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

"Besides, not everyone's gotten a call," said Kingsley, attempting to look less worried. "Look, Tonks is still there, chugging down her, bloody hell is that her _fifth_?" Kingsley looked shocked and so was Remus. Sirius had dropped out, giggling in a high-pitched sound beside Harry while Tonks and Alexis were the last—things had really become personal.

"The badge burns when you're called, right?" Remus asked quickly.

Marrick nodded. "Yes and even if you're drunk, you'll most likely still notice. Silvia, sorry, we have to go," he said and suddenly sounded even more worried as he turned to Remus. "Err—I know this is a bit much to ask but Remus, can you please make sure Alexis doesn't go onto a seventh bottle? Trust me; you don't want to see Alexis _that_ drunk."

Remus didn't question why. "Of course, go," he replied. "BLOODY HELL!" he suddenly yelled as Marrick and Kingsley left. Remus was running towards Tonks, going onto her sixth bottle with her cousin. "Nymphadora, stop!"

"Sirius!" said Silvia worriedly as she rushed across the crowd to Harry who was helping his staggering godfather who had now…started dancing on a table.

* * *

><p>By the end of the night, Sirius Black and Silvia Black has become a wedded couple and now won the title of holding the best wedding in Hogsmeade. People had quite a hard time stopping themselves from laughing when Sirius began dancing on the table, swinging his beloved godson and beautiful wife around in his glee. Tonks had morphed into possibly one of the strangest but most hilarious sight Remus had ever seen to match her song while she began singing loudly to <em>Can You Dance like a Hippogriff<em> by her favorite band, The Weird Sisters, and soon everyone began dancing to the ridiculous dance. Alexis, egged on by Fred and George, was revealing a collection of pranks and jokes she'd been hoarding in her brilliant mind for years. The party had somehow gotten out of control one moment when everyone was dancing and banging their heads in the air. Remus was surprised that it had managed to come to an end.

"Oh Remus, Remus," Molly called, worriedly running towards him. "Is Tonks feeling alright?" she asked upon seeing Remus help a still laughing and jumping Nymphadora Tonks, bearing orange hair and a pig snout, down from a table. "Arthur had begun feeling nauseated and I'm afraid Tonks might be too."

"NO, I'M FINE AS EVER MUMMY!" Tonks screamed and tackled Molly into a hug.

"NYMPHADORA!" Andromeda shrieked and immediately, she and Ted were helping Remus pry Tonks off of Molly who was flattered but also rather horrified.

"Hello, Lexi, you won again," Tonks laughed, rubbing Andromeda's face and pinching her cheeks. "When'd you get so wrinkly, cuz?"

Once again, Remus found himself having to resist the insanely tempting urge to face-palm himself. "I'm sorry Andromeda," he sighed, lifting her off her feet and holding her despite her protest. "Is there something we can give them?"

"I'm afraid not," said Ted, nodding his head over to Sirius who had pushed Silvia up against a wall and began snogging her as if his life depended upon it. "I think Alexis had charmed her drinks somehow."

"Oh yes," Remus sighed. "Silvia told me."

"Oh that girl," Andromeda grumbled.

"We should probably get Tonks some rest, she looks rather pale…" Molly suddenly gawked when Tonks' skin had turned green.

"Look, Remmy, I'm a monster!" Tonks laughed, kissing his cheek again and again.

Remus stared back at an absolutely horrified Andromeda. "Err," he stuttered. "H-how are all th-the others doing?" Tonks and Alexis' warnings had been right. Andromeda's stare is lethal.

"Alastor, Minerva, and Hagrid are helping them back," Ted answered. "Filius is passed out and Trelawney had gone on about some divination mumbo jumbo. Pomona and Poppy are staying and waiting for Dumbledore to go back. The kids are staying with Molly for a few days."

"Speaking of kids, where are they?" Molly asked.

"There's Sirius and here's Nymphadora," said Andromeda. "Where's Alexis?"

_BANG!_

"Ginny, move!" Harry's voice yelled.

"Bloody hell, that was brilliant!" Ron's voice sounded.

"SHE DID IT!" Fred and George's voice followed along with a series of whooping.

Molly and Andromeda both looked horrified, all the color drained from their faces. "Remus, can you please watch Nymphadora for me?" Andromeda asked in a scarily stern voice.

Like an obedient child, Remus nodded too many times. He knew Andromeda, having raised Alexis since she was five, saw Alexis as her own child, and he could only wonder what would be in store for the girl as Andromeda came for her. As for Molly, Remus could only hope he was far enough away from her outrage. The Marauder inside of him however, was wondering what all the kids and Alexis had been up to the caused all the noise. In his reverie, Remus had failed to notice that he was now standing awkwardly, holding a fast asleep Nymphadora Tonks in front of Ted Tonks, her father.

"Um…"

Ted smiled warmly. "You can take Nymphadora home," he said in a mellow voice.

"She's staying at my place," said Remus without thinking. He suddenly stopped himself and stared bravely into the eyes of Tonks' father. Had he really said those words?

Once again, Ted laughed and shook his head. "Breathe, man!" he said, clapping Remus on the shoulder. "If I don't trust you with Nymphadora, I would have chased you away from her with a muggle shotgun long ago!" He seemed to be enjoying himself as Remus was seriously wondering how much pain a muggle shotgun can induce. "Take her. We've all agreed to give Sirius and Silvia the haven of the London flat. Alexis will stay over with Molly for a few days as well, giving Sirius and Silvia some quiet time."

"A-All right," said Remus apprehensively while taking a step back from his girlfriend's father. "I-I'll be going then, Ted."

Ted smiled and wave. "Remus," he suddenly called.

"Yes sir?" he answered immediately.

Again, the kind-faced man laughed. He really _was_ enjoying himself. "Be careful."

* * *

><p>When Remus finally managed to help Tonks back to his small flat in Surrey, she was awake and talking again. Fortunately, she was calmer now and was simply rambling on and on, something about her that Remus found he rather enjoyed. He smiled, nodded, and listened as she continued to talk about how she was sure she'd replaced half of each bottle with water.<p>

"Love, Silvia's helped Lexi put a charm on all the bottles to prevent you from tampering with it," he explained to her once he finally got Tonks to settle down on his bed.

Tired, Remus then got up and headed across the room to close the open door. As if Tonks had gained some godly sense of coordination through her drunken phase, she was suddenly at the door before him, leaning against it and smiling at him with a mischievous and seductive glint in her twinkling green eyes. She looked more awake now but Remus wondered if she was still acting on the impulses of alcohol.

"I got it," she smiled and winked as she pushed the door close silently behind her and locked it. Remus heard it click and Tonks' smile widened.

"Thank you love," he said, wondering what she was up to.

"How'd you enjoy the wedding?" Tonks asked.

"It was scary," he admitted. "But fun, nonetheless. Sorry you lost to Lexi again."

"Oh no worries," she assured him. "I knew I had to stop at five. I don't want to get mindlessly drunk," she laughed, sitting down upon his mattress, leaning back on her elbows, and smirking at him.

"You mean…you _weren't_ mindlessly drunk when you were trying to dance like a hippogriff?" he asked innocently.

"No," she said, shaking her head as if it was absolutely normal. "I do that all the time."

"Oh, I forgot," he was shaking his head and coming towards her, placing his knees on the floor in front of her as they exchanged smiles. "You're Nymphadora Tonks."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're special," he said. "There are so many things I can say about you, so many things I love about you that I will never in my lifetime be able to list it all out."

"Tell me one."

"You are exquisite." His words were true honesty and their beating hearts knew that.

"Really?" she asked, her cheeks flushing again out of his truthful flattery. She leaned forward, her voice low and seductive and sounded almost like a whisper from _temptation_. "Can you show me how?"

He rested his chest upon her knees while he was eye to eye with her. "How?" he asked.

Tonks grabbed his ascot and pulled him even closer to her. Their faces were merely millimeters apart now and the temperature in the room had suddenly skyrocketed. "You know."

"Now?"

She nodded slowly. "Right. Now."

"You are drunk, my love."

"Do I care?"

"_I_ care," he told her though he couldn't pull himself back.

"I want you to, I really do." Tonks suddenly climbed onto her knees in one swift movement and her lips were against his. "I am _asking_ you to, my love."

Remus contemplated for a moment although his heart was thudding a tattoo against the inside of his chest and his lips were trembling, longing to feel Nymphadora Tonks' right between them. He always felt there was something base about sleeping with a woman while she's intoxicated but his temptations were quickly rising above everything else.

"How about tomorrow?" he asked weakly.

"I can't wait," she whispered, nudging his lips as if teasing him. "_You_ can't wait."

Beginning to sweat in the smoldering heat, Remus swallowed. _It couldn't hurt_, a voice said. And before anything else happened, Remus found his lips gliding against Tonks' and his hands were upon her soft skin. She was drunk and he was high on happiness—mirth was contagious. But yet, it still felt as if they knew what they were doing and were in perfect control. Remus' senses grew wild as his distance between Nymphadora Tonks diminished to none. His hands found the zipper upon her astonishingly elegant dress and with one quick motion, he pulled it downwards. Tonks had enjoyed herself removing the individual pieces of his attire, one by one, plucking them off, teasing him with them, and tugging on his ascot with her mouth.

Kisses trailed and hands strayed upon soft skin made moist by eagerness and energy. They cradled each other gently, slowly easing the raging sea of desire within them to get closer and closer. The longing for closeness had long tormented their delicate hearts and now, like every other time, they felt as if it was the very first time and they were satisfying a craving that had lasted for years and years. They were happier than any drink could make them. When their fluttering eyelids lifted and their windows-to-the-soul met, they felt as if they were taking off their clothes all over again and the yearning to ease the fiery tempest called desire only grew.

Lips treaded upon the sensitive areas of the neck and in the silent night, gentle cries of pleasure sounded. No one else could hear them and they were like song birds in the night, loving and dancing to no other audience but the luminescent moon.

The lovely moon hung over head illuminating the dark room through the open window and it was letting in a soft breeze to ease the sweltering burning passion. Soft skin caressed weeping soft skin and Remus reveled in the sweet, passionate feeling of love. Before long they had reduced each other bare and they were speaking a language only they can understand.

It was love and they were certain—ardent love…so seductive, so intoxicating, so indulgent, it satisfied the heart's deepest, darkest desires whose name one dares not speak. In love, so deeply, irrevocably and unconditionally in love, she swore she was his, shivering and sighing. He vowed to her his passion is infinite…undying. And with the beating hearts still crying more, they knew that neither was lying.

* * *

><p>Ok, I got a little mushy at the end, but it's Remus and it's Tonks and it's a love story so I hope it's all right xD. Thanks for reading!<p> 


	34. A Clear and Present Danger

**Author's Note:**

Err, I don't have much to say...anyways, enjoy xD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 34 – A Clear and Present Danger<strong>

A weightless veil of warmth caressed his eyelids. Slowly, he was waking up from a night of cloud dancing. His body was still aching with pleasure. Eyelids fluttered and gently he lifted them, gazing upon the warm, stroking sunlight of the glorious morning that cascaded through his small but cozy flat. He himself was entangled in a heap upon the bed, lost in a blanket and the arms of his lover who, like him, was stirring.

Remus turned to his side and slipped his warm arm around Tonks' naked back, pulling her body closer to him. She mumbled something incoherent and he simply smiled as he lifted her head softly upon the pillow. She opened her eyes, gazing back ardently with two pools of crystalline emeralds. Tonks smiled and Remus' heart danced.

"Good morning," she said.

"Good morning," he smiled; his voice low and croaky but warm nonetheless.

"Had a good sleep?"

"Spectacular." Remus beamed as she giggled and snuggled closer to him.

"Hey Remus," said Tonks.

"Yeah?"

"Why is my backside burning?"

Confusion fell upon him. "What?"

Tonks sat up and looked around, a look of bewilderment bounding her gaze. "Something was burning earlier," she said, her voice raspy from the night of pleasure. "I swear I felt something burning earlier."

He sat up as well, careful to use the blanket to cover as much of himself and Tonks as best he can. Remus was helping her look around. He was patting his bed, wondering what in the world Tonks was talking about. For a brief moment Remus was distracted by her wavy brown hair as it morphed itself into the blonde curls he'd seen last night, bouncy and energetic. He cleared his throat subtly and continued looking.

"Did you roll upon something?" he asked.

"Maybe but it's all a mess," she answered. Remus had to admit, they _were_ lying upon a mess. Their clothes were tossed all over the place and scattered across the room in which they'd blindly danced through in the night. He was lying upon his own dress robes and Tonks on hers. At the foot of the bed, a small bag of Tonks' belongings laid as she'd been planning to stay over with him for several days, giving Sirius and Silvia their private time.

"Err, where's my badge?" Tonks asked.

"Your what?" said Remus as he continued to pat around the bed. He lifted the blanket up and accidentally stumbled upon her scarlet satin clutch she was holding. When he picked it up, something inside the hand clutch was burning him. It scorched him and Remus winced as he dropped it saying, "Ah!"

"What?" she asked, turning around swiftly, making the blanket they were sharing even more tangled. Her eyes fell upon her clutch. "Bloody hell, I think my badge is burning."

"Something's happened at the Ministry," he said. "Marrick, Kingsley, and a few other aurors had to leave early last night because of it."

A look of worry fell upon Tonks' face. "Oh come on," she sighed. "I signed off today." She shook her head and leaned on Remus' shoulder. "_Accio wand_," she called and from the other corner of the flat where Remus' pile of unread books laid, Tonks' wand came soaring through the air. Once she had her wand in her hand, he heard her mutter a spell which casted a freezing charm upon her clutch. She then reached in and pulled out the badge.

"What's wrong?" he questioned as she read the message magically engraved upon the back of the gleaming silver badge.

Tonks made a face. "No idea," she said. "It's probably just Scrimgeour being an arse again." She seemed uncaring now. "Guess I've got to go," she sighed.

"Be careful," he called as Tonks got up and gathered her things quickly.

She grinned, hopping on one foot while she tried to get her heavily patched jeans on. "Like always," she told him. "Constant vigilance, remember?"

Watching her, Remus couldn't help but laugh at the face she made when she realized she'd done something wrong. "Err," said Tonks.

"Love, that's _my_ shirt," he smiled as she'd slipped on his white button-up shirt instead of her own from the pile beside her bag.

Tonks shrugged. "Oh well," she said, buttoning up quickly and slipping her black auror robes on. "I don't care. Your shirt's comfy!" With another grin and a fleeting kiss, Tonks bounced out of his flat, her wand and badge in hand as she called back, "See you later, love!"

Lying back on his bed, Remus shook his head and stared up at the ceiling. Although Tonks seemed not to care about why her auror badge was burning the entire night, Remus couldn't help but worry and wonder. Marrick and Kingsley had to leave. Did something bad really happen at the Ministry? They could have been trying to alert Tonks all night but caught up in their cloud dancing, Tonks had failed to notice. Remus bit his lips and was surprised when an owl suddenly came swooping into his flat, quickly dropping a letter upon his bare chest and leaving again without waiting for a reply.

He sat up and unrolled the small letter, realizing he and Tonks had just been invited over for breakfast by Molly at the Burrow. Looking around, Remus knew he had no food left. He shrugged and searched for his clothes upon the mess he and his lover had made last night. He would explain to Molly about Tonks' absence when he got there.

* * *

><p>Someone was playing the drums. Her head was banging along to the blaring beat she was sure only she could hear. Eyes half closed and her head throbbing, she turned to her side. It quickly came to her realization that she was lying upon a bed not her own. Her eyelids opened immediately but she made no sound indicating surprise. Working as an Unspeakable for so long, she'd grown used to ending up in strange situations. Alexis sat up and looked around. At least it didn't seem <em>that<em> strange anymore now that she'd got a good look at the room.

"Morning Lexi."

The gentle voice was oddly surprising and Alexis jumped back in the squeaky bed on a wooden frame that she knew most definitely was not hers. Her eyes shot across the room to see Ginny sitting upon her own bed, smiling back at her. Alexis sighed. She was in Ginny's bed room. Ginny's bedroom was neat and tidy with several Quidditch and Wizard Bang posters hanging upon the wall. Beside Ginny, Alexis noticed a heap of blankets curled up in a ball. She raised an eyebrow but took her questioning slowly.

"What happened?" she asked, massaging her temples and adjusting to the brilliant sunlight from the window whose ruby red curtains Ginny had just drawn open.

"Let's see," said the lovely girl with flaming red hair. "You and a lot of other people got madly drunk last night. Sirius danced on the table and I'm pretty sure he was about to do a strip tease if Silvia hadn't stopped in time—"

Alexis choked on intake of breath. "What?" she asked in a hoarse voice. "Bloody hell!"

"That's not all," Ginny grinned. "Tonks morphed herself to look like a hippogriff and danced to that song by The Weird Sisters, err, then she turned herself green scaring mum. And you were messing with a whole bunch of people and sent a table flying across Hogsmeade. I heard it landed on Madam Rosmerta's roof—that's what Fred and George told me."

"Bugger it all," Alexis sighed. "Andromeda's going to burst! I haven't been _this_ drunk since that summer before seventh year!" Her eyes widened with fear. "I didn't sleep with anyone, did I?"

"Don't worry," Ginny laughed. "You slept with no one." Alexis sighed in relief. "Andromeda can't be as scary as my mum, can she?"

"Oh, you've never been on the receiving end of a Black family outrage before," said Alexis, shaking her head. "Be glad, you wouldn't want to be."

Ginny shrugged and hopped off her bed. "Come on then, might as well get it over with. When Fred and George come downstairs, mum's going to have a row with them too no doubt."

"All right, let's go," Alexis sighed, rubbing her bloodshot eyes. "But bloody hell—I'm an adult, you'd think she'd let me go by now."

"Mum said Andromeda talks about you like you're her daughter too. If she doesn't let Tonks off, I doubt you'll get off, Lexi, sorry."

Alexis groaned. "Who's that?" she asked, pointing to the heap of blankets upon the bed.

Ginny suddenly laughed. "That's Hermione."

"What? What's wrong with Hermione?"

"Fred and George laced the butterbeer with firewhiskey and Hermione drank some."

She was shaking her head as she left the room. "Reckon the others are still asleep then?"

"Yeah, a lot of the adults are awake though." When they passed by Fred and George's bedroom, Alexis noticed that the door was left ajar. An expression of excitement lit up Ginny's face and she was pulled to the side, hiding behind the door and listening in.

"What are we doing?" Alexis asked, her head still throbbing and her mind confused.

"Hush!" Ginny hissed, holding her index finger up to her lips. "I've heard Fred teasing George about this crush he's had on someone for ages! I still haven't found out who it is!"

"George has a crush on someone?" Alexis asked, sounding surprised.

"You had a perfectly good shot with her last night!" said Fred, laughing.

"Had a shot with whom last night?"

Ginny shrugged. "That's what I've been trying to find out for months!"

"There weren't anyone else at Hogwarts there, right?"

Again, Ginny could only shrug. "I honestly don't know—wait, shush!"

They leaned closer to the door and tried to listen again. Alexis couldn't hear George's response clearly but he'd definitely said something. Suddenly, there were soft sounds of laughter and the twins were approaching the door. Quickly, Alexis and Ginny scurried down the stairs wearing innocent faces. They playfully fought each other for use of the bathroom and after letting Ginny go first Alexis finally dragged herself in but not before spotting Fred and George peering out of their room at her—they must have heard noise outside their door. The moment Alexis met their eyes, she suddenly noticed Fred's grin widening and George's cheeks flushing red. Bewildered, she wondered what was going on with the boys.

* * *

><p>When Remus got to the Burrow, he ran into Andromeda and Ted Tonks at the door, both of whom were just leaving. Andromeda gave Remus a faint smile and Ted clapped him on the back. Neither said much as they walked a little further away from him and disapparated, making Remus wonder why the two were leaving so suddenly. His question was partially answered by Molly as if she'd read his mind. She was coming up to greet him, smiling at him and beckoning him in, away from the chilly morning air. Her smile seemed strained however and Molly looked quite red still. Her voice was hoarse—it was as if she'd been screaming earlier.<p>

"Come in, come in, Remus," she said. "Ted and Andromeda were just leaving to see Rosmerta. They thought they'd come have a word with her. Come in, have some breakfast, Remus," Molly continued to smile forcibly as she led him into the kitchen.

"Thank you Molly—hello Arthur," said Remus cordially.

Upon entering the kitchen, Remus felt he'd just walked in on the aftermath of a very bad argument. The air was tense and Arthur's smile barely showed as he gestured Remus into the chair beside Sirius. It was then that Remus noticed Sirius was there, looking torn between worry and bewilderment just like he was. Sirius was sitting beside Alexis, talking quietly to her about some argument. Fred and George were there, sitting beside Ginny, both boys looking grim while Ginny looked stunned. Arthur and Molly were exchanging pointed glances, and Remus was still left wondering what was going on.

"You know you shouldn't have said that," Sirius said quietly to his cousin who still looked livid as she tried to drink her tea. "She only cares about you."

"Honestly, I'm twenty-three. You'd think she'll lay off on me now because I'm an adult."

"It still doesn't make it right, what you said," Sirius sighed. He looked up, met Remus' eyes, and shook his head. "You completely missed it, Moony," he mumbled quietly.

"Missed what?" Remus asked.

Sirius held his hands up to explain. He held both his index fingers up and discreetly pointed to Alexis on his right and Fred and George a little bit down the table on his left. "Two outrages," he said, "Going on at the same time. Molly was yelling at Fred and George for making a mess last night with all the stunts they pulled while Andromeda was screaming at Lexi for sending a table flying across Hogsmeade."

Remus' eyes widened and he managed a glimpse at Alexis who was stabbing her eggs viciously, silently. He glanced at Fred and George who were beginning to brighten up again, talking quietly with Ginny while visibly avoiding Molly and Arthur's eyes. Remus turned back to Sirius who continued talking.

"Lexi said something she _shouldn't_ have said," his friend's piercing grey eyes were now upon his young cousin who proceeded to ignore him. Remus caught her taking a swift glance from the corner of her eyes though. "And angry, Andromeda left." He turned back to his cousin. "You know she cares about you. Look, she's even going to Rosmerta to apologize for you and sort things out. Andy's just got a short temper and tends to scream—everyone in our family is like that, you, me, Tonks."

"Rosmerta had a laugh when she saw the table on her roof," Alexis grumbled, not looking up. "But let Andromeda hear you call her Andy and you'll get scolded too."

Sirius shook his head and sighed.

"Sirius not that I don't enjoy your company, but why are you here?" Remus questioned, unable to help himself. He now knew why Alexis was irritable and why Molly and Arthur looked weary—they'd just finished scolding Fred and George. Remus' new question was why Sirius was there, so very far away from London where he and his newly wedded wife were supposed to be relaxing and spending time at.

Before Sirius could answer, Molly had come over to Remus with a plate full of bacon, eggs, and toast. Her smile was more genuine now and she seemed to have quickly calmed down. "Here you are, Remus. Where's Tonks? I thought she'd be with you."

"Nymphadora was called to the Ministry—I think it was something urgent."

"Tonksie too?" Sirius asked, sounding surprised. "Silvia had to run this morning because we woke up and her auror badge was on fire! That's why I came over here. I figured Arthur or Lexi or even Percy might know what's going on."

Bewildered, Remus turned to Arthur who said, "Percy wasn't alerted but he works today so I asked him to see what's going on at the Ministry and send word back. We still haven't heard anything," he sighed.

"But Arthur, wouldn't _you_ have heard something?" Remus asked.

Arthur ruefully shook his head. "I'm afraid not. It's not within my department you see. This might have happened in the Auror Office."

"All the aurors must've been alerted," said Remus, remembering back to last night. "Kingsley and Marrick left early last night because of some kind of emergency, along with several other aurors at the party."

"What's going on at the Ministry do you suppose?" Sirius asked, looking around.

Arthur shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait and find out. Wait until Percy sends word or someone comes here bearing some news."

"We don't have to wait, Arthur," Alexis spoke up.

Remus turned to her instantly and he saw that her weary, bloodshot eyes had been staring out the kitchen window the entire time while they were all discussing what could be happening at the Ministry. He turned around and looked outside as did Molly and everyone else at the table. They were all silent, watching as Silvia and Tonks walked up to the house from the dusty dirt path, Tonks' curly blonde hair and Silvia's wavy dark brown danced in the light wind and glowed in the brilliant sunlight as they came. They just passed the chicken coop when Molly bustled over to the door, opening it, and holding it for them as they approached. When Silvia and Tonks finally came in, they were both wearing grim expressions with a masquerading smile.

"Thank you Molly," said Silvia. Her voice seemed strained and hoarse—she too had just been screaming and Remus wondered why. He glanced beside him and saw that Sirius was tense with worry, wondering the exact same thing.

"Percy told us everyone would be here at the Burrow when we ran into him at the Ministry," said Tonks, attempting a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Let me pull up some chairs, dears." Molly flicked her wand and immediately, two chairs were flying across the room and settling beside Sirius and Remus.

Ginny, Fred, and George had abandoned their quiet conversation and were now looking at all the adults. "Tonks, Silvia, what's wrong?" Ginny asked softly.

Tonks shook her head and managed a grin which Remus saw right through. "Nothing, I'm just grumpy, you know? I mean I _was_ woken up rudely by my ruddy badge and called to work for nothing," she continued to ramble.

"Silvia?" Sirius asked.

Remus turned and saw Silvia shaking her head, masking a smile too much like Tonks' forced one. "It's nothing," she tried to assure them. "Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry?" Sirius' voice was rising. "You said they wouldn't call you unless if it's some big emergency. What happened?"

"It was just a minor problem," said Tonks.

Remus took her hand under the table and turned her attention to him. With stern eyes boring into hers, he tried to search for the truth. "Nymphadora, what's wrong? We're _more_ worried if you don't tell us." His words were gentle.

Still, Tonks continued to keep quiet and shook her head. "It's nothing," she said.

"Tonksie," Alexis sighed and called Tonks' attention to her. Remus looked and saw that as Tonks turned, Alexis had made eye contact with her. He sensed something was going on and he was correct when Alexis suddenly broke eye contact and said, "Barty Crouch Jr. escaped, didn't he?" she was asking Silvia for confirmation.

"WHAT?" Remus, Sirius, and Arthur asked, utterly shocked.

"Hey!" Tonks yelled and swatted Alexis' shoulder. "You promised you'd never use Legilimency on me!"

"What's Legilimency?" Ginny, Fred, and George questioned but Molly hushed them. She was standing to the side, listening quietly although with worried eyes.

"What do you mean Crouch escaped?" Sirius asked.

"What happened?" Remus questioned, urging Tonks for an answer.

"I thought the aurors had already put Crouch in Azkaban," said Arthur, baffled.

Silvia shook her head and sighed. "We didn't want you to worry, that's why we didn't tell you," she explained. "But seeing that Lexi already—"

But she was quickly cut off by Tonks. "You said you wouldn't read my mind!"

"Not normally but if it's an emergency, I most definitely will!" Alexis argued back.

"Hey, what do you mean Crouch escaped?" Sirius demanded. "He was at the Ministry, guarded by all sorts of protection and defenses!"

"Nymphadora please, what happened?" Remus implored.

"Crouch, you mean that bloke Remus and Tonks caught a month ago?" Fred asked.

"How in the world did he escape?" George continued.

"What's happening at the Ministry right now?" Ginny questioned.

Molly hushed them up again quickly and that time, she was sending them away. "That's it, this isn't your business," she said sternly. "Upstairs, all three of you."

"But mum!" Ginny protested.

"Upstairs, _now_!" Molly commanded and unwillingly, Fred, George, and Ginny made their way upstairs. They were taking loud, stomping footsteps in protest and the conversation continued on after they distinctly heard the sound of two doors slamming shut.

Once it was just the adults, the questioning continued. "All right," said Sirius who had taken Silvia's hand and was looking from her to Tonks. "Tell us exactly what happened, please!"

Tonks huffed and Remus' arm instinctively slipped around her waist, holding onto her, comforting her. "Apparently, our auror badges had been burning since last night," Tonks began, her hand holding onto Remus' under the table and she discreetly shifted closer to him. "When Silvia and I got there, we were both scolded by Scrimgeour. I deserved it because I was careless but you'd think he'd give Silvia a break since she _did_ sign off for the night—"

"Tonks don't," Silvia shook her head but Sirius said, "Git" under his breath and pulled his wife upon his lap, holding her closely.

"Was it just the Auror Office or the whole Department of Magical Law Enforcement?" Arthur asked, sitting with Molly across the table beside Alexis who was listening with rapt attention, her eyes shifting back and forth between Silvia and Tonks.

"It was just the aurors, Arthur," Tonks replied and continued with her explanation. "It turns out that Crouch must have heard news of Silvia and Sirius holding their wedding last night somehow. He escaped last night, overcame the two aurors guarding the holding cells in the Auror Office, and got out of the Ministry. Kingsley had gone to organize a new search investigation for him. When Silvia and I got there, Marrick told us there didn't even seem to be any struggle. Somehow, Crouch got through the holding cell as if he'd just slipped through the bars or something." Tonks' eyes suddenly turned to Sirius.

Knowing what her thought was, Sirius shook his head. "He _couldn't_ have been an animagus. If he was, you would have found out as you and Remus were chasing him through Hogwarts," he said.

"But then how do you suppose he got through the cell?" Remus asked. He'd seen the holding cells in the Auror Office once before and knew they were bewitched with a very powerful charm that prevented even magical folks to escape.

Tonks shook her head. "I don't know."

"Marrick went to report to Fudge, but he _did_ tell me a wild guess of his before he left," Silvia spoke up. Her eyes were suddenly on Alexis, both women staring at each other with unspoken understanding. As Remus watched, he saw that Alexis suddenly grew pale and worried. She sighed and placed her head in her hands.

"The Ghost Necklace," Alexis groaned.

"Correct," Silvia nodded sadly. "Marrick thinks the Ghost Necklace that Tonks must have dropped at Hogwarts was picked up by Crouch. That's the only reasonable explanation as to how he got out. I spoke with the two aurors, Dawlish and Sellers, and neither of them even remembered getting knocked out. Dawlish even had his wand taken!"

Remus and Tonks exchanged dark looks. "Oh bloody hell," Tonks sighed. "It's my entire fault. I asked Lexi to borrow the necklace and carelessly dropped it."

"We're not putting blame on anyone here," said Sirius in a low voice.

Arthur spoke up. "He's right, Tonks. No one would have expected Crouch to escape."

"What actions do you think the Ministry will take?" Molly asked.

"Start another investigation most likely," Silvia answered.

"Has anyone else suspected that the Ghost Necklace may be involved?" Alexis asked.

Tonks and Silvia shook her head. "I don't think so," said Tonks. "And I don't think Marrick would tell anyone else before you."

"Bloody hell," Alexis sighed as a worried look permanently etched itself upon her face.

"Lexi dear, language," Molly reminded in an instinctive, motherly sort of way.

Alexis was watching them through her fingers. "Sorry Molly," she mumbled.

"I'm worried about something else though," Remus spoke up after thinking over his thoughts twice. He looked around and continued when everyone was anticipating for him to speak. "If Crouch has escaped, then there has to be another motive. He must have had a bigger motive than to kill Harry." He licked his lips and paused upon the horrified look on Molly's and Arthur's faces. "He must be planning something else."

"He may just want to stay away from Azkaban," said Sirius darkly, his voice low and his eyes icy cold. "Any bloke with a brain wouldn't want to go to that place if they don't have to." Sirius' grey eyes met Remus' blue ones. Having known each other for decades, Sirius suddenly understood Remus' worry. "Unless…no…."

"You're not thinking he may want to bring You-Know-Who back," said Alexis suddenly.

"Lexi!" Sirius snapped, quickly realizing she'd read his mind.

His raven haired cousin put two hands up and apologized. "Sorry, sorry," she said. "Bad habit, it's rude, sorry."

"But wait," Tonks cut in. "Are you really thinking Crouch may want to bring You-Know-Who back? He's dead though, isn't he? You can't revive the dead."

"And that's where the problem lies," Remus sighed. "We don't know for sure that Voldemort is back."

Molly suddenly gasped and the pots and pans that she'd been directing to scrub themselves in the sink dropped with a loud clang. The color drained from her face and Arthur quickly consoled her, continuing on with the conversation.

"It's worrying but it's reasonable," said Sirius.

"Crouch _was_ looking for You-Know-Who," said Silvia, recalling the endless hours of interrogations she'd seen Kingsley put the man under. "We've confirmed that. We just don't know for sure if Crouch has found his master yet. That was why Marrick and Kingsley wanted to keep him in the holding cell for further interrogation."

"But how can You-Know-Who come back?" Tonks asked.

Remus shifted and she turned to him for an answer. "We don't know for sure," he said, looking in Tonks' magnificent green eyes and looking around the table. "But there are ways that he can come back…remember the sorcerer's stone? Several years ago, Voldemort," Molly gasped again at the use of the name. "Molly, don't fear the name," Remus told her and continued. "Several years ago, Harry had to confront Quirrell and save the stone."

"Then there's the Chamber of Secrets," said Arthur, his eyes looking down as he recalled the traumatic memory. His own daughter had been victimized and she was nearly killed had Harry not come rescue her in time. "Lucius Malfoy slipped her that wicked diary—that was what Harry told me when I asked him privately."

"His followers must still be trying to bring him back and we know there are still plenty of them still out there," Sirius spoke up, looking into Silvia's eye and helping her come to the harsh truth. "After the first war, the Ministry hadn't rounded up _every_ Death Eater."

Tonks looked around. The atmosphere at the table had suddenly grown dreary and silent now and she found it so hard to believe that just last night, they were laughing and celebrating to their hearts' content. "So…in what way do you think he'll try to come back this time?"

Remus shook his head. "I don't know…but now that Crouch has escaped…from past events we can only conclude that danger is coming."

Looking around, Tonks understood why Silvia thought it would have been a better idea to keep the news of Crouch's escape from everyone. Now that they knew, they were all growing worried. She wanted to reassure them—maybe Crouch will be caught soon and he will once again fail at finding his master. She wanted to say something comforting, but she couldn't think of any words to say. All she knew was that a new danger now lurks upon the horizon, a danger so obvious that somehow they've failed to notice before.

* * *

><p>The rest of April passed by much too quickly and before they knew it, the weather was already warming up. Spring had come and was nearing its end, shifting eerily into a quiet summer. Sirius and Silvia's wedding seemed to have happened a long time ago and Remus once again found himself worrying, worrying about Tonks and about the unclear horizon. Something was happening—something bad and he could feel it. Yet, there seemed nothing they could do.<p>

On a warm evening towards the end of May, they were at Andromeda and Ted's house, eating dinner like any other family. Tonks had decided not to tell her mother and father about Crouch's escape and what it was foreboding—if The Daily Prophet hasn't reported anything, she didn't find the use in worrying them. Often, she and Remus would tell themselves that they were just over thinking things. Maybe, like Sirius said, Crouch was just terrified of returning to Azkaban again and used the necklace to escape. He could be thousands of miles away from Britain, hiding away and trying to let go of his old life….

Dinner started quickly. Andromeda was wondering why Alexis wasn't there when she'd promised she would come for dinner. She was asking Remus, Sirius, Tonks, and Silvia whether Alexis was still stubbornly angry about when Andromeda scolded her after Sirius and Silvia's wedding, but no one could answer her because they did not know. For the past several weeks, the news of Crouch making his escape through the use of a Ghost Necklace had been realized by many aurors and the Department of Mysteries was put under questioning thus, as the head of the department, Alexis was under a lot of stress. Remus hadn't even seen her in over two weeks.

In an attempt to lighten the moon, Ted had gotten everyone discussing about Sirius and Silvia's child since they'd just returned from another regular checkup at St. Mungo's hospital. Five months into her pregnancy, Silvia was definitely showing now and Tonks was distracting herself from worrying about problems at the Ministry by pelting her cousin and best friend with one baby-related question after another. On Remus' mind, he was distracting himself with wondering how Sirius would handle fatherhood.

"We were told today that our baby's a boy," Sirius smiled, beaming up at everyone.

"Wonderful, have you considered any names yet?" Remus asked, smiling as well.

Silvia shook her head but smiled. "We only just found out today, Remus," she laughed.

Tonks was chuckling over something her father had said to her. "Don't give your boy a name that would torture him," she told them.

"Oh yeah," Sirius agreed. "We wouldn't want another running around screaming 'don't call me so-and-so," he teased.

"Git," said Tonks as Remus laughed.

"Nymphadora is a beautiful name!" said Andromeda while Ted was smiling beside her.

"It doesn't fit me at all, mum!" Tonks retorted, stabbing her chicken.

"It's lovely and it _does_ fit you!"

"Mum, it's a mouthful!" Tonks groaned.

Sitting beside her, Remus found his face aching with a smile that hasn't fallen. He took her hand under the table and softly told her, "Let it go, Nymphadora."

Tonks glared at him and he grinned back.

"How come _he_ gets to call you Nymphadora?" Sirius asked and Silvia shook her head.

"Don't you start," Tonks growled. Even though secretly, she loved the way Remus said her name, never would she admit it unless hell freezes over.

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "Nymphadora is your name, dear. Your father thought it was a lovely name as well." Tonks glared at her dad who smiled. "Sirius, you may call her by that."

Sirius was grinning and sticking his tongue out at Tonks who was threatening to shove her fork down his throat. With continued teasing from everyone at the table who so very much enjoyed joking with Tonks about her name, the whole course of dinner went by fleetingly. Soon, Andromeda and Silvia had cleared the table and everyone was gathered in the cozy living room of the Tonks house, talking over drinks as they began discussing upcoming events, specifically, the third task of the Triwizard Tournament in which they were all invited to come and show support for Harry who had miraculously but skillfully tied for first.

"I wonder what sort of things they'll be making him complete," Sirius mused aloud.

Silvia and Tonks seemed to have an idea when Silvia said, "I heard the Department of International Cooperation mention something about a maze," and at the same time, Tonks said, "Someone up there was talking about a troublesome sphinx."

"A maze and a sphinx?" Remus asked, surprised. "That seems like a lot for teenagers to compete in, don't you?"

"There's more," said Silvia. "We can be sure of it."

"Blimey, I don't think they're satisfied until they've killed someone off," Tonks interjected. "I heard last time the tournament had to be canceled because someone got killed in the second task."

"So which school holds the Triwizard Cup then?" Ted asked, sipping on his butterbeer as he spoke. "It couldn't have been Hogwarts, could it? If Hogwarts had the cup, we'd all have seen it. Have any of you had a glimpse at the cup?"

Everyone shook their heads but Sirius and Remus simply exchanged a look before Remus said, "While in school, Sirius and I happened to stumble upon another room hidden behind the trophy room where we saw the Triwizard Cup."

"Hogwarts won the last tournament in 1792 and we've held the cup since."

Ted's eyebrows had nearly reached his receding hairline. "Blimey that's wicked. And what were you two up to that you found the cup?"

Stuttering slightly for Remus never told any others about his days as a Marauder, he turned to Sirius for help with an answer. "We-we were helping shine the trophies," Remus said lamely. He caught an amused look in Tonks' eyes and wished he could just look at her instead.

"I doubt you're just shining trophies," said Andromeda, finished with her meal and setting her cutlery down. "Knowing Sirius for so long, you two had to be up to something." She was smirking, a smirk Remus found familiar to the ones he'd seen on Sirius and Alexis' faces.

Remus sighed. "No, actually that time we were just in detention."

"Thought so," said Andromeda but she didn't seem at all bothered by the slight hint that Remus' detention record was almost as bad as Sirius'. "When _is_ Harry's final task anyways?"

"McGonagall's letter said it'd be on the twenty-fourth of June," Silvia answered.

"Oh I don't think Ted and I will be able to make it," said Andromeda disappointedly. "Ted's got a case at his law firm and I've got something at work on the evening of the task."

Remus always knew Ted had reverted to working at a muggle law firm, insisting that the cases there were almost as interesting as the ones in the wizard world. However, wizards don't usually have lawyers so Ted's profession was amongst muggles. As for Andromeda, Remus had briefly heard Tonks mention how her mother's job was, according to Tonks, 'boring as a rock' since she worked a desk job in a magical enterprise.

"Don't worry Andromeda," Silvia said with a gentle smile while Sirius was rubbing her large, showing belly with a funny but loving look on his face. "Sirius and Tonks will be there. They'll be loud enough to give Harry support."

Andromeda nodded. "Give Harry our support for us."

"You and Remus will be able to settle them down I hope," Ted laughed.

"I doubt it," Tonks scoffed, playfully pinching Remus' cheek which made him blush.

"You doubt my ability to calm you down?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

Tonks was grinning and play-fighting him, slapping his hands gently as he did so with her. "Yes," she said defiantly. "Yes I am."

"Kids," Andromeda sighed and shook her head. "Will Alexis be there too?"

"Err, I don't know," Sirius answered, shifting so that Silvia was now sitting closely beside him, her head on his shoulder. "We…we haven't seen much of Lexi lately."

"Why is that?" Andromeda asked as if interrogating them.

Upon her mother's question, Tonks had put a halt to her play fight with Remus. She knew Andromeda cared for her cousin very much—other than her and her father, Alexis and Sirius were the only family she had left. Tonks sat up and said, "Lexi's department is under a lot of questioning and trouble because of some things at the Ministry."

"And as the head of her department, everything has to go through her?" Ted asked.

Remus nodded. "None of us had seen much of Lexi lately. She's always at work—"

The dark grey pile of ashes under the mantelpiece had suddenly burst into flames, putting a stop to Remus' sentence abruptly. He and everyone else turned to look at it. Tonks climbed up the sofa and was crawling slowly over to it as the flames turned emerald green and was flickering but growing larger and larger.

"Lexi?" she said, spotting her cousin's head out of the fire.

"Hello," said Alexis. She was smiling but Remus knew he wasn't the only one who thought her smile looked more like a grimace. "I'm guessing everyone's done with dinner then?"

Andromeda was hurrying across the living room. "Nymphadora let me speak to her."

"All right," said Tonks, shuffling aside. "My mum's speaking to you."

"Wait—hi Andromeda," said Alexis through the fire. Tonks was beside Remus again, both leaning closely to look at the girl's emerald tinted face through the fire. Remus couldn't tell whether it was the green flames or the floo calling that was making her look extremely waned.

"Alexis Black, where in the world are you?" Andromeda asked.

"I'm uh-I'm at my work," she answered—it was an obvious lie.

"Lexi, the Department of Mysteries doesn't have a fireplace," said Tonks.

"I'm in the Atrium!" Alexis replied quickly, another lie.

Remus could tell that Andromeda was growing irritated now. Although he was sure that Alexis was no longer angry at her aunt for, quite simply, caring too much and scolding her, he knew that Andromeda still thought the young woman was. Sitting quietly, Remus watched with Tonks in silence. He casted a glance over to Sirius and saw that both Sirius and Silvia had noticed something, almost dilapidated, about Alexis' appearance, even through the dancing emerald green flames that she was speaking to them through.

Ted came up beside his wife and knelt down. He was blocking Sirius and Silvia's vision, making them have to shift to the side on the armchair they were occupying. "Lexi, is something wrong?" Ted asked in a kind and mellow voice.

"No, nothing's wrong." Alexis' reply was much too quick and Remus realized that no matter how good the young woman had been at talking her way out of trouble in school with Tonks, she still could not lie to the very people who had taken care of her since young. "I just wanted to give you a call and apologize for not being able to come to dinner."

Andromeda sighed. "Have you had dinner yet?"

"No but I'll get some soon."

"Lexi, where _are_ you right now?" Silvia asked.

Her jaw clenched and she was rolling her eyes in the fire. "I told you, I'm at work."

"No you're not," said Sirius who was standing up now. "Where are you?"

Before Alexis could answer with another small lie, Andromeda commanded, "Alexis, come through the flame right now."

"I-I don't think I can," she replied weakly. "Um, I don't think I'm supposed to yet."

"Alexis Lydia Black, you come through that flame right now or Merlin help me, _I will pull you through it_!" Andromeda scolded.

Alexis seemed hesitant. "But, well, I've got to go—"

The next series of events happened so fast, Remus was stunned. Andromeda had taken her wand out from her pocket and with a swift, circular flick of her wrist, the emerald green flames burst higher. Then, as if an invisible hand had grabbed onto Alexis' collar, she was suddenly pulled through the dancing flames and hoisted through the air, falling clumsily onto her knees in the middle of the living room right in front of Tonks' feet where she and Remus sat.

"BLOODY HELL!" Alexis shrieked but she seemed to be in pain.

"Lexi!" said Remus, being the first to realize. She was bandaged up, her neck and her arm which was worn in a sling. Tonks was the next to realize and quickly, so did everyone else. Remus got to his knees and with Tonks, helped Alexis sit up. When they met Andromeda's eyes again, he found that the cold, authoritative gaze had disappeared and was replaced by a look of genuine care and worry.

"Ouch! Tonks don't touch!" Alexis winced, pushing herself away from her kind but less-than-gentle cousin.

Sirius stayed at Silvia's side but he was worried as anyone. Andromeda was on her knees beside Remus and Tonks immediately, helping Alexis straighten out her arm and she was staring at the bandage on her neck that was still seeping with blood. Remus and Tonks backed away and he held Tonks' hand which accidentally squeezed him too hard out of worry. She casted him a glance, mumbled an incoherent apology, and returned to her mother and cousin.

"Alexis, what happened?" Andromeda asked gently.

"We haven't seen much of you for weeks!" Sirius added.

Biting her lips, after a few short moments Alexis seemed to have gotten over the pain of landing on her injured arm after being forcibly pulled out of the floo network. She shifted and pulled herself up onto the sofa with Remus' help while she explained, "I was at work. For the past _week_ or so, Rookwood, Augustus Rookwood—you lot must remember him," she looked around at Remus, Tonks, and Silvis specifically. Augustus Rookwood, two years back, had been a part of the team sent to Hogwarts to look for Sirius Black after he escaped. Upon Remus' great memory, he also remembered the name being associated with Death Eaters once during the war against Voldemort. Alexis continued once they all nodded. "I've noticed after Crouch's escape, Rookwood was starting to act very weird and not just _not-speaking-weird_ but he always showed up to work looking as if he'd been under the Cruciatus Curse, always wincing and twitching and paranoid. Then he stopped coming to work for a week, making all of us wonder, but before we could visit his house and ask him, he came in today, smiling and strangely happy again."

"But how did you get those injuries?" Tonks asked. Like everyone else, Tonks eyes were traveling from the deep, vertical cut that sliced down the side of Alexis' neck and the gash upon her forearm where the long cut seemed to have ended. They couldn't see the bandages under her robes but Remus was sure there was more along her left arm. "Did he attack you?"

She shook her head immediately. "No, he would have been subdued by the others there. We continued on with the Time Turner Research we've been doing." She suddenly looked up at everyone rather apprehensively—Alexis had no doubt said something about the nature of her work she shouldn't have. "Well on the research, he was supposed to monitor how many rotations the hourglass spins since he's good at counting them quickly. Me, Page, and Bode when in to test them thinking they were all turned off. For some reason, Rookwood turned them back on again and unprepared, we were time-splinched—I've explained this to you before, haven't I, time splinching?" she asked and Tonks nodded.

"Why'd you think he tried to kill you guys?" Tonks continued to question. "I mean you said it before, people who messed with time usually end up…" she slid a finger across her throat.

"I don't know."

"Do you think he could be involved with—?"

Before Tonks could finish her question, Andromeda had already hushed her and was helping Alexis up to her feet. "Enough questioning," she said in an impatient but warm voice. "Nymphadora, finish your tea dear and help me with the last of the dishes. Lexi, I'll have another look at your wounds. I'm so sorry."

"It-it's all right, Andromeda," said Alexis quietly, following her aunt into the kitchen.

"I want a look too," Sirius said suddenly, bouncing up to his feet and gently helping Silvia. "What in the world is time splinching?"

"Lexi will explain it to you," his beautiful wife answered in a soft voice.

Remus stayed with Tonks who was unmoving where she stood in the middle of the living room. Everyone else had bustled and returned to the kitchen while only he and Tonks stayed there, looking rather stunned. Quietly, Remus turned to her, wondering what was troubling her and what was weighing on her mind. He took both her hands and turned her around to face him.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

Tonks shrugged. She didn't let go of his hands but walked over to the mantel, looking at the set of photographs displayed in lovely picture frames sitting on top the mantelpiece. Tonks had pulled Remus along with her and his wandering eyes couldn't help but look at some of the photographs right in front of him.

In one picture, he saw Andromeda and Ted at their wedding, grinning and waving happily at the camera. When she was young, Andromeda and the Nymphadora Tonks standing right in front of him looked like the same person. Beside that black and white photograph, another one sat, that time with Sirius and Silvia in the picture at their own wedding. Unfortunately, when that picture was taken, Sirius was already hopelessly lost in a drunken stupor and was swinging Silvia around, laughing and smiling and kissing her. A smirk played upon Remus' face—at least Sirius was happy and by the looks of it, so was Silvia.

"Do you think Rookwood may have something to do with Crouch?" Tonks finally said.

He turned to face her. Tonks was holding a small photograph of her and her parents when she was merely an infant—they were standing in front of the house, smiling at the camera while Tonks' hair changed colors rapidly, appearing in the black and white photograph to shift into different shades of grey.

"Possibly," said Remus. "You heard what Lexi said. Rookwood only began acting weird after Crouch escaped from the Auror Office. And…I don't know if you've heard of this but after the war ended…Rookwood's name was amongst the many mentioned as being Death Eaters."

"I've heard," Tonks nodded. "Mad-Eye told me about it."

"So you think Rookwood is helping Crouch somehow?"

She nodded again. "It's just a wild guess," she told him. "It's because I'm an auror and Mad-Eye taught be to be extremely paranoid about these things, so I think there may be something." She shrugged. "But then again, I may just be paranoid. For all we know, Crouch may be out of the country, hiding, trying to start another life."

"Maybe."

Remus' eyes followed Tonks' and he noticed she was now looking at a particularly old photograph with keen interest. It was a large picture of a hill—the photograph must have been folded into fourths because Remus could still see the creases upon the picture. On the hill, he saw two people chasing each other, laughing and running around as if they were play fighting much like the way Remus often saw Tonks do with Sirius or with Alexis. There were another two people, sitting upon the grass—the grass and its surrounding was very family to Remus. The two people sitting were laughing, sharing a joke, and flying a kite. Another girl, young and lovely with dancing brown hair, came into the picture, smiling and calling to the others as she gestured to the camera taking their picture. Looking at the photograph more closely, Remus' eyes widened with realization.

"That's Andromeda," he said. "Sirius…Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and…"

"Marcus Black, Lexi's dad," said Tonks. "Funny, this was the photograph we found in Bellatrix Lestrange's room at the Riddle House. Lexi must have taken it and…given it to mum."

"Sirius always said Andromeda and him could never entirely let go of their past."

"Strange," said Tonks and Remus saw her eyes twinkling with thought.

He followed her as she shifted her attention to another photograph. She picked it up, the picture taken during the Christmas holiday which had everyone in it—Tonks, Sirius, Silvia, Alexis, Marrick, Andromeda, Ted, and even Remus himself. Inside, they were all smiling and sporting Father Christmas hats. Sirius even had a fluffy white beard to accompany the look. Remus smiled at the photograph as did Tonks.

Outside, a flash of lightning lit up the dark window and the sound of thunder shocked the silence, surprising Tonks. She jumped slightly and the picture frame fell from her grasp. As the frame shattered to the ground, Remus and Tonks were still trying to catch it in mid air. The sound of the shattering glass got Andromeda's attention and the next thing they knew, she was scurrying out of the kitchen, worriedly looking around until she found them with the broken picture frame.

Like Tonks, Remus had frozen momentarily when he looked down at the shattered frame. There was something strange about it—about the way it looked with broken glass and rigid lines tearing through the image of the picture. It looked broken, definitely, but also in a way, foreboding. It was weird.

"Oh Nymphadora," Andromeda sighed. Tonks didn't even bother to yell at the use of her dreaded first name. "Let me repair that Remus." With a flick of her wand, the glass floated inches above the ground, placed the pieces back into the frame and the frame repaired itself. Remus picked up the picture and returned it gently back upon its place on the shelf.

"Thank you Andromeda," he said quietly as she returned to the kitchen where Alexis had just yelled, "Ouch! Sirius! Don't touch!" Sirius' laughter could be heard and Remus wondered how he'd managed to lighten the mood in the kitchen so easily.

Turning back to Tonks, Remus noticed she was still staring at the place where the photograph had fallen. She didn't speak and Remus only had a small idea of what was going on in her mind. Tonks was worrying. Wordlessly, he placed an arm around her and beckoned her back to the chair saying, "It's all right. It's all good. Nothing's going to happen."

"Yeah," she said softly. "I'm becoming too paranoid."

"No you aren't," he assured her.

She suddenly turned to him, her right hand grasping the front of his shirt ever so lightly. "But what if we've overlooked it all? What if something _does_ happen…?"

"_I_ will always be here," he said, taking her hands and holding them against his chest. "Right here," he assured her. "No matter what." Finally, with the reassurance Remus was giving her, Tonks settled herself down beside him on the sofa. They were quiet for a while until the others rejoined them in the living room, talking amiably about Sirius' not-so-gentle nature, completely unaware of the dreadful worry and fear that was gripping Tonks…and now Remus.


	35. The Second Coming

**Author's Note:**

This is it! The next chapter will be the epilogue to this story and a transition into The Order of the Phoenix era. I hope you enjoyed reading this story! xD I enjoyed writing it so much. Thank you for your support! Thank you so much! xD I hope you enjoy xD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 35 – The Second Coming<strong>

Looking out the open window, Tonks felt a gentle breeze hit her face. Summer had come unexpectedly. Had it been a year ago, Tonks would have been one of the many people searching for every little excuse to go outside, bouncing around and running under the summer sun. But now she could not. She was trapped behind a mountain of paperwork even though she was home. Her search for Barty Crouch Jr. had been restarted again and nothing tasted more like defeat than having to go through each and every paranoid sighting all over again. She was back where she started, even after arresting Crouch and interrogating him. That investigation took her nine months. It had taken her nine months to catch Barty Crouch Jr. She could only wonder how long it will take her a second time around.

"Nymphadora."

She turned around to look at the door to her room where Remus stood, his hands in his pocket as he smiled to her. Tonks pushed her chair back, scraping her dirty hardwood floor as she stood up. There was a smile upon her face but it didn't reach her eyes, much to Remus' disappointment—she'd been like that for weeks ever since Crouch's escape.

"You're over early," she said, jumping up and hugging him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and closed her eyes briefly, fully taking in his scent—chocolate and books—and reveling in the sensation of his warm arms around her waist. When she finally let go, Tonks felt a longing to get back into an embrace again. "Did Sirius pester you?"

Remus chuckled. "No, actually, Alexis pestered me."

Puzzled, she raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. "Lexi?"

"Alexis came and spoke to me the other day when on her way back from St. Mungo's. I'm glad to hear she could finally take the bandages off now." Remus could still remember the horrified expression on Tonks' face when her mother had pulled her cousin right through the floo network only to find out Alexis Black had been injured at work by Augustus Rookwood. Whether it was intentional or an accident, Tonks didn't care to find out. She immediately worried whether Rookwood could be working with Crouch—he was, after all, once accused of being a Death Eater by a pathetic and desperate Igor Karkaroff.

"What did you two talk about?" Tonks wondered.

"She told me how a usually colorful and I quote, 'inquisitive and annoying' cousin of hers, is now a drawn and worried mess. She's wondering why you're so down—Sirius is too."

Tonks sighed, rolled her eyes, and danced away from Remus, collapsing upon her bed. He dropped down beside her, lying on his stomach as she was on her back. "So…?" he said. "What is wrong? Are you still worried about Crouch?"

She couldn't lie to him and she knew that. Tonks nodded and shifted so that she was in his arms again, Remus looking down at her pale, heart-shaped face while she looked up at his gentle and scar-crossed features. "I'm right back where I've started. I haven't done a thing."

"Haven't done a thing?" he asked her. "My love, you're being ridiculous on this one!" he said as if it was the most preposterous thing he'd ever heard of. "Nymphadora, you uncovered Crouch as impersonating Mad-Eye Moody! You freed Mad-Eye from that dismal trunk of his! And you actually arrested Crouch too! He would have gone to Azkaban had it not been for the Ghost Necklace. What do you mean you haven't done a thing?"

"That's it, the Ghost Necklace—if I hadn't dropped it, we would have given it back to Lexi and Crouch would have never escaped."

"We can't see the future, love. Even the greatest wizard of our time makes mistakes…"

"If you're saying Dumbledore—"

"Dumbledore can make mistakes too, love, he told us this himself when he found out Sirius had been innocent the whole time." Remus shrugged. "It's only a part of being human."

Tonks tossed her hair back and the peaky violet hair fanned around her lovely face. She sighed and stared up at the ceiling before temptation led her back to Remus' blue eyes again—they were bluer than the sea in all its glory. "Then what about Rookwood?" she asked. "He's an experienced Unspeakable. How can he just 'accidentally' turn on a set of time turners, nearly _killing_ three Unspeakables? He had to have done it intentionally and…" she was hushed when he placed his index finger upon her full red lips. Her eyes continued to stare at him.

"It's not our job to worry about every little mistakes of the world and form conspiracy theories," he said. "Lexi said things like that happen at her work all the time. If Rookwood was up to something, don't you think Lexi's observant eyes would have spotted it by now?"

Even Tonks had to admit her cousin was keen to look at the minor details of everything. If Rookwood was a threat to them, Alexis would have already spotted something. "I guess."

He smiled. Remus' smile lit up his face and in a way it made his eyes twinkle almost as if they were glowing—she loves his smile. "Smile," he said. "I'd rather see Nymphadora Tonks laughing and goofing around than being all drawn and worried."

She chuckled. "You like me 'inquisitive and annoying'?"

"It's a part of who you are." He held her face gently. "Promise me something."

"Anything."

"Even when the going gets tough, don't blame or doubt yourself; just keep doing what you think is right. _Don't_ stop making jokes, don't stop smiling, and don't stop goofing around."

"You wouldn't say that if a war comes around."

"I've been through one and if I learned anything, it's that we could do with a little more laughs. We were all tense and serious which quickly stressed us out and made us turn on each other. If ever another war breaks out, whether it's over dragon rights or another goblin rebellion, just don't stop smiling."

Looking deeply into his eyes, Tonks nodded. "Promise," she said and then a grin twisted her lips. "I promise I'll be as annoying and inquisitive as ever."

Remus laughed. "Brilliant," he said. "Now what do you say we go out before Sirius storms in and makes fun of us again?"

Before Tonks could even nod, the door to her room suddenly burst open and she could hear Sirius' ringing voice over Remus' soft laughter. Both Remus and Tonks looked up at the dramatic horrified look upon Sirius' face.

"I leave you two alone for two minutes and you're already trying to shag each other!" Sirius exclaimed as if it was the biggest taboo in the world.

"We didn't do anything, I swear!" Remus replied, holding both hands up.

Sirius leaned in and narrowed his eyes. "Yes, that's what they _all_ say."

Shaking her head as she got up, Tonks made her way past Sirius, leaving the two Marauders alone together. "Give it a break, Padfoot," she sighed, smiling. "It's not like I'm a virgin or anything and Remus is a great bloke to be in bed with."

Entering the living room, Tonks could just imagine the truly horrified look upon Sirius' face. "WELL I DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW _THAT_!" Sirius bellowed back at her.

"You know, you troublemakers are a strange lot," Silvia said casually. She was sitting on the kitchen stool beside Alexis. Now, whenever Tonks looked at Silvia, she always found herself amazed that time had gone by so quickly and Silvia was already nearly six months into her pregnancy. She was showing so much but still her arms and legs were slim and slender—Tonks wished that if she ever got pregnant, she'd still be as skinny as Silvia.

"Why am _I_ counted in this?" Alexis asked, emptying her glass with ease.

"Because _you_ helped me blow up the Hogwarts Library with dungbombs," Tonks smiled.

"That was only one time!" Alexis exclaimed as Sirius and Remus entered the living room, pushing each other and laughing together. "All right," she said after Sirius pushed Remus for the last time. "Shall we go now? The final task is about to start soon and we wouldn't want to be late. Sirius still has to give Harry his encouragement speech."

As she was smiling and weaving fingers with Remus, something in the back pocket of Tonks' jeans suddenly burned. "Wait," she said, reaching back and pulling out her heating auror badge. "Oh bloody hell," she groaned, pulling it open. "Um…"

"Don't tell me you have to go," said Sirius, helping Silvia off her stool.

"Unfortunately, yes," said Tonks apologetically. "We're understaffed tonight and…"

Sirius rolled his eyes and Remus tightened his hold on her hand momentarily before letting go. "Go," he said. "They wouldn't call if they don't need you."

"If it's an emergency, I'm going too," Silvia said, stepping up to Tonks. She was suddenly pulled back by Sirius, his hand holding tightly onto hers.

"Oh, no you aren't," said Sirius firmly. "You're the godmother, you're not going anywhere. And besides! Love, you're six months pregnant—you can't expect me to let you go!"

Rolling her eyes, Silvia stepped back and beckoned Tonks to go. "Go," she said.

Remus kissed her lips swiftly, faster than lightning. One moment the warmth of his lips and the indulging taste of chocolate were upon her lips, the next moment it was gone. "Go and come back early," he said and Tonks bounced out of their flat, staggering down the hall into the open elevator where a grumpy muggle woman stood with her lips pressed firmly together.

* * *

><p>When Tonks arrived at the Atrium in a sea of swirling green flames, she saw that strangely, it was empty. Stepping out of the gilded fireplace, Tonks had come to realize how weird the feeling of emptiness in the Ministry was when most of the workers had gone home. Tonks groaned. The only people in the Ministry of Magic at this hour were usually the workaholics or the people with lives so miserable that they were forced to focus on their work and abandon the outside world.<p>

"Sometimes, I despise my job," Tonks grumbled to herself. She was missing the final task of the Triwizard Tournament for this, a tournament that had been canceled for centuries!

"Tonks!"

She looked up and halfway into the Atrium, right beside the massive, gleaming Fountain of Magical Brethren, Marrick Kingston stood, his dark brown hair ruffled and dark circles encased his mysterious eyes—Tonks still could never conclude on what color they were, she wondered how Alexis looks at them.

Miserably grumbling, Tonks made her way over to Marrick. "You know I'm missing Harry's final task for this?" she questioned dryly.

"Sorry," he said. "I expected Dawlish to call someone else. Kingsley made it clear you were off duty today."

"You had Dawlish call me?" Tonks groaned. "Oh, that miserable, brainless, incompetent oaf! Wait till I get my hands on him!" She shrieked.

Beside her, Marrick was smiling timidly and was leading her back to a gilded fireplace near the one she stepped out of. "Let's not insult the bloke now," he said placidly. "Go back to the tournament—I'm not sure if it'd started yet. We just have to check up on a sighting of Crouch. I'm sure it's just some paranoid witch again."

"Hang on, sighting of Crouch? Where, I want to go," said Tonks with sudden enthusiasm.

From inside his black robes, Marrick pulled out a folded piece of paper tucked within the pocket of his vest. Reading it, he said, "Kingsley sent me a memo saying to check up on Great Hangleton. Someone had reported seeing Crouch there and the Unspeakables checked saying there are levels of magical activities randomly around that area."

"Great Hangleton?" Tonks found that name oddly familiar. "All right then, since I'm called I might as well go with you, mate. Off we go then."

Shaking his head, Marrick said, "We'll just apparate. As I recall it, there are no floo-connected fireplaces in Great Hangleton for our use." He held out his arm to her. "I'll lead?"

"Gladly," Tonks sighed and took her partner's arm.

The uncomfortable squeeze of apparition came instantly. Marrick's arm was pulling away from her and Tonks tightened her grip to the point where she felt sorry as she was digging her nails into his arm. She was squeezed in all directions and yet she felt as if she was about to burst. It was like being forced and pulled through a very small tube. The next moment, Tonks was breathing again, gasping great breaths of air and heaving her chest heavily as she drew in more and more breaths. Apparition was over and both aurors had arrived at their destination.

Standing on the edge of a small town, Tonks and Marrick took the moment to observe their surroundings. From where she stood, Tonks could see a tall, three-stories-high Police Station protruding from the rest of the town. The rest of the town was quiet and not many people were on the streets. Inside buildings however, artificial light lit up the interior and from outside, the two aurors could see silhouettes of people moving back and forth. It was a quiet little town and a thin layer of fog enveloped the scene as if it would never vanish and never leave.

In the middle of the fog, Tonks suddenly remembered why Great Hangleton seemed so familiar. She'd been to Little Hangleton before, another town, small of course, six miles away. That was where she'd gone up to the Riddle House. Tonks' head turned in all directions at the recollection of the memory. Unlike Little Hangleton, nothing strange seemed to be hiding within Great Hangleton, at least from what her eyes could see.

"We need to go to the police station," Marrick said.

"All right," Tonks sighed and with her hand cautiously hovering over her wand just like Marrick, they made their way to the police station.

They walked in silence and before they knew it, they'd entered the air-conditioned interior of the old and empty station. Behind a wooden desk, both aurors immediately spotted a portly police officer with a thick bushy moustache sitting, his hat askew and his uniform unkempt. He had an expression of boredom upon his face and his eyes only lit up when he noticed the two strange people entering.

"What do you need help with?" he asked; his moustache twitching as he spoke. He seemed rather intimidated by the two aurors, dressed in mostly black robes except for Tonks' violently violet hair and the plum colored shirt she had underneath her robes. "You're not lost, are you? Or are you looking for someone?"

"Yes, someone's made a report that they'd seen this man," said Marrick, pulling out Crouch's wanted poster from the other pocket of his black vest underneath his robes. "His name is Bartemius Crouch, have you seen him?"

The police officer stroked his bushy moustache in thought. "Nope, I've never seen _him_ before, but Miss Emily may be who you want to speak to."

"Miss Emily?" Tonks asked.

"She lives in the house just down the street," said the officer. He beckoned them over to his desk and pulled out a thin file. "Here," he said, handing it to Tonks and Marrick. "She came in a few days ago, says she'd seen someone dodgy—she had the same wanted poster you folks have in her hands." He reached into another drawer and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper that turned out to be another copy of Crouch's wanted poster. "She's a weird woman. When she gave this to us here, we thought she was mad you see. What in the world are galleons? But anyways, from what she told us, this man," he pointed to the picture which in his muggle eyes, did not move. "She said she saw him near the old Gaunt house near Little Hangleton. They don't have a police station over there you see so she had to come here."

Tonks snatched the crumpled poster immediately and dragged Marrick, who was still reading over Miss Emily's statement, out of the station. "Thanks, that's all we needed," she called back, leaving the officer hopelessly confused.

"I was still reading!" Marrick protested.

"We just need to check the Gaunt's house and we're done, right?" said Tonks.

Marrick nodded. "Yes but we don't know its exact location, we can't apparate."

"We can walk," Tonks smiled. "It's just a few miles. With your legs and my energy, we can get there in less than an hour."

"I was reading up on the description though."

Tonks shook her head. "She was describing what Crouch looked like, was she not."

"Yes," Marrick was about to say more but he sighed and shook his head. "Let's go," he said. "You're so bouncy and eccentric sometimes."

Tonks scoffed, walking quickly with Marrick out of Great Hangleton towards the woods where she'd read over the Gaunt House could be found. "I wonder how you and Lexi work out," she said. "I remember back in school, you two _hated_ each other."

"In that hatred there was attraction," Marrick admitted and Tonks raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she asked, walking faster to keep up with his long strides.

"Err, I don't know. I don't think Alexis wants me talking about this."

"Go on," she said, nudging him in his ribcage. "Lexi tells me everything. You can too!"

"We only hated each other because we kind of liked each other," he confessed. "What do you think Alexis was doing hanging out at the library whenever she's not causing mischief with you? You can't expect her to actually be studying, do you?"

Her jaw fell. "So since second year…she'd been spending time with you in the library?"

"Well, not exactly. We just…kind of…_looked_, you see. We didn't really talk."

"What about when she was going out with Bill?" Tonks and Marrick had reached the forest part by now, their conversation making their walk go by even faster. "I mean, all the other blokes, Ethan, Jordan, Kevin, Connor, oh too many to count, but you know, all the other blokes don't matter to her but I know she really liked Bill. So even during _then_, you two were…"

"We just looked," Marrick laughed, feeling awkward in front of a very inquisitive Tonks but he was comfortable with her nonetheless. "We didn't do anything. We didn't even talk. I'd just catch her _looking_ at me sometimes and sometimes she'd catch me _looking_ at her."

They were entirely in the night now, treading through darkness with the light of the brilliant silver moon guiding them. The forest area wasn't dense and moonlight escaped through the trees, making it so that they didn't even need to use a charm to light their way. Their journey seemed fast as Tonks bombarded Marrick with questions about his secret history with her cousin even Tonks had not heard about—no wonder Alexis was an Unspeakable.

"So, if all these years you just _looked_, how'd you get together? Don't tell me that last year, you two just gave in to your temptations and went with it."

Marrick nodded innocently. "That we did."

"You two just _went with it_? Bloody hell…"

"But there was more to it."

Tonks silenced herself immediately. "Tell me more."

"Um…"

"You tell me more; I'll act like we've never had this conversation. You don't tell me, I'll tell Alexis _everything_, and she'll get mad at you!" She threatened. Tonks wasn't sure if Alexis _would_ get mad at her boyfriend over something like that but it was worth a try.

"It was the summer before seventh year," he began. "Derek dragged me to a party—"

"You mean that really hot bloke who's your friend and a complete arse, Derek?"

"Uh, yes," Marrick continued. "Well he took me to a party and there was firewhiskey there. I lost him halfway through and found Alexis, debating whether or not she should try her first drink. Apparently she'd never had firewhiskey before then. Somehow, we started talking—we were both madly drunk pretty soon and—"

Tonks gasped. "And you shagged her!" She was suddenly jumping. "You shagged her!"

But Marrick, blushing red, seemed to have ignored her. They'd arrived at the old and dilapidated House of Gaunt. Tonks raised an eyebrow. She'd expected something a bit more to be a place Crouch was sighted at but the house turned out to be a small, run-down shack. It looked as if it was about to collapse because of abandonment and weathering over many years, decades even.

"Crouch was sighted here?"

"I would have read more but you pulled me out of the station too quickly," said Marrick, approaching the shack with his wand out. Tonks did the same as Marrick carefully pushed open the door, his wand at the ready.

"There's no one here," Tonks whispered, afraid if she spoke too loud the shack might collapse on them. At the door, she could see through everything in the one-room shack and it was absolutely empty.

"_Homenum Revelio_," said Marrick.

Nailed upon the door, Tonks had noticed that there was a rotten and dry set of snake skin or what remained of an actual snake. She gagged and shivered, stepping back out of the shack.

"There's no one here besides a couple of rats and snakes," said Marrick.

Looking at the ground, Tonks said, "_Lumos_," and saw that several chubby rats and slimy snakes had made the house their home. Leaving it, Tonks and Marrick sighed. It was more than obvious that this was yet another inaccurate sighting. The shack looked completely abandoned and the layer of dust over it showed that no one had even touched it for decades. Crouch couldn't have been hiding in there.

"Shall we go back and try to find this Miss Emily?" Marrick asked, leaving the shack disappointed. "She had to have been a witch. She had the wanted poster with her."

Tonks felt defeated and shook her head—it was another false sighting, one in the million they've gotten. "Perhaps she's just another paranoid witch," said Tonks. "I don't see any use coming back to the town. It's night, they're all getting ready for bed anyways."

Marrick was quiet in thought for a moment before saying, "All right. You should go and see if the final task is still going on. I'll return to the Ministry and have a go at the report we need to write for this sighting."

"No because then _I'll_ feel terrible you're doing all the work for me! Wait till tomorrow."

"I've got time," he said kindly.

"Then use that time wisely and spend it with your girlfriend you psychotic workaholic!"

"But Alexis is at Hogwarts—"

"Honestly Marrick, you're so daft sometimes," Tonks sighed, grabbing his arm. "I'm going to apparate to Hogsmeade, are you coming with? I think Lexi would be pleasantly surprised to see you leave your work to see her for once."

He was thinking again, his eyebrows creased together in deep thought.

Again, Tonks groaned and rolled her eyes. "Men," she said. "Hang on tight."

Tonks always felt that apparition, especially side-along apparition. The feeling of being squeezed in all direction was only bearable. Luckily, Tonks barely had time to think about the uncomfortable feeling before her foot suddenly touched ground again and she'd arrived in Hogsmeade with Marrick at her side, his holding firmly onto her forearm. He sighed and shook his head as she smirked.

"I feel bad leaving work," he said.

Tonks shrugged and walked rapidly up High Street, heading towards Hogwarts where she hoped the gates would be open by either Filch or someone else. "Who else are still at work?"

"Dawlish, Fields, Yaxley, and Hawthorne."

"Hmm," said Tonks contemplatively as she made her way up the familiar grassland to Hogwarts castle. "Dawlish I can believe—the lousy bloke has no life at all. Fields, I don't know. Is he new?" Marrick shook his head. "All right then, Yaxley I don't talk to, arrogant bastard, and Hawthorne, I thought he moved."

"He's moving soon but he needs the hours—I heard they're moving to New York City over in the United States."

"Marrick, I'm surprised you actually hear things when you're busy working all the time."

"People tend to gossip and talk around my office," he sighed.

"And you're the only bloke who would find that a bad thing." Tonks rolled her eyes.

Before long, Tonks and Marrick had both arrived at the front gates of Hogwarts castle with the metal gates closed and the stone walls guarded by giant winged boars. Tonks pressed her face in between the two metal bars on the gates and looked around. She grinned with she heard the sound of muffled footsteps upon the grass. Proudfoot's face came into view and she quickly waved him over.

"Proudfoot, lucky we found you out here!" she smiled.

"Tonks, Kingston, aren't you supposed to be on duty?" Proudfoot asked.

"I've been coerced," Marrick joked and shook his head.

"Git," said Tonks teasingly. "Proudfoot let us in! What are you doing all the way out here anyways? Aren't you watching the final task? Oh don't tell me it's over!"

By the time Tonks finished speaking Proudfoot had already opened the gates and let them in. Right after they crossed the premise, he closed the gates again and muttered incoherent charms upon the locks.

"I'm taking a stroll," Proudfoot replied. "The Minister brought way too many aurors and some of us have nothing to do. Dumbledore asked me to patrol the grounds if I'm bored and here I am. Lucky I came by when you two are out here eh?"

"Yeah, lucky," Tonks sighed. "Where's the task anyways?"

"It's in the Quidditch Pitch, come with me."

In a weird silence, Tonks and Marrick followed Proudfoot over to the Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch that now looked entirely different from a distance. The pitch seemed to be the entrance to a massive maze consisting of giant, overgrown hedges that rose at least twenty feet high, maybe more. Tonks openly gawked at the third task and arrived with the other two aurors in the back of the old stands where the audience was gathered.

"I don't think it's over yet," said Proudfoot. "I'm going to walk again, you two enjoy."

Eagerly, Tonks made her way through the wooden doors that led to the front of the stands and searched for Sirius, Silvia, Remus, or Alexis' face. Marrick spotted them first and pointed Tonks' attention to them who just happened to be across the stands. The crowd was noisy but they weren't cheering—they were simply conversing amongst themselves and waiting.

Quickly pushing through the crowd to get to the other side, Tonks and Marrick had to flash their auror badges several times for a way through—people weren't too willing to get up from their seats they've grown comfortable in. Finally, after much struggle and nearly falling over the wooden railing of the stands, Tonks arrived at the area where her family was situated. Sirius was laughing with Silvia over a joke they made together while Alexis and Remus were flicking their wands at each other, waiting for sparks to come out and flinching when it did. Tonks raised an eyebrow, wondering what Alexis had convinced Remus of trying.

"Wotcher," Tonks smiled and danced over to Remus with shocking coordination when his face lit up with a smile upon seeing her.

"Hello," Marrick greeted, smiling and stirring a bright and happy grin from Alexis.

"Hello Nymphadora," Remus greeted her with a kiss. "Hello Marrick," he smiled and shook hands with Marrick before the auror took a seat behind Alexis, allowing her to lean on his knees and relax with a wide grin.

"Oi, what were you two doing at work?" Sirius asked. "I saw most of the aurors here!"

"A few of us had to do some investigation on Crouch's case," answered Marrick. He didn't say much more as he and Alexis seemed to be distracted in a conversation of their own. Looking at them, Tonks could only guess that the eternally honest Marrick Kingston had told Alexis what he told Tonks and as she was blushing red, Alexis was attempting to hide her laughter from him.

"What did I miss?" Tonks turned to Remus and asked.

"Not much," he answered. "Just the opening sequence, Sirius embarrassing Harry with his encouragement speech, and the champions entered the maze. We don't get to see much except for random sparks flying up in the air."

"What did Sirius say to Harry that embarrassed him?"

"He put more pressure on Harry, that's what he did," Silvia told them.

"Hey, hey," Sirius said. He was attempting to glare at her but failing extravagantly. "Pressure serves as motivation in times like these."

Remus shook his head and sighed as he took Tonks' hand and held her ardently. "Yes but Padfoot," he began. "You're not supposed to tell him that you're going to disown him!"

"You said that?" Tonks gawked. "You evil, _evil_ git!"

"I was only joking!" Sirius defended.

"You're still cruel," Alexis chimed in. "Honestly, the kid has to face a sphinx for crying out loud. You _could_ at least be nicer to him."

Sirius rolled his eyes and waved his hands dismissively. "He faced a dragon, for crying out loud. A sphinx is nothing."

"Sometimes I think James made the wrong decision leaving you as Harry's godfather," Silvia sighed. "I'm sure Lily had no say in that decision."

"Oh she was completely against it," Remus laughed.

"Great now everyone's bullying me," Sirius groaned.

"It's all good fun, Sirius," Remus smiled.

Even with Tonks' late arrival, she'd ended up sitting in the wooden stands for another hour, conversing and joking around with her family and friends. Tonks had begun to tease Alexis and Marrick for their special meeting and talk over a two bottles of firewhiskey several years ago, causing both to blush profusely and Tonks to laugh hysterically. Sirius, Remus, and Silvia were still clueless to what was so humorous but the group of six quickly fell into a new fit of hysterical laughter when Sirius nearly fell over the railing attempting to flee from Silvia whom he had been teasing seconds ago.

"I don't think it's possible to flee from your own wife, Sirius," Remus laughed, holding Tonks tightly around her waist who was stomping her feet laughing.

"Oh love," Sirius sighed. "Thou art a heartless bitch."

Tonks had exchanged a hi-five with Silvia while trying hard to control her hysteric laughter which luckily was drowned out by the volume of the crowd around them. She pointed to Sirius and said, "And you say _I'm_ clumsy! That's life for you," she grinned.

Sirius rolled his eyes as Alexis said, "C'est la vie cousin. C'est la vie."

"Don't mock me," Sirius groaned but he too was smiling.

_WHOOSH!_

There was suddenly a weird noise that sounded half like the sound of the wind rippling and flapping and half like someone had just apparated or traveled by portkey or floo. Tonks looked around and with Remus her eyes fell upon the entrance of the maze where Harry wearing red and black had just fallen to the ground with Cedric Diggory, the other Hogwarts champion, a fellow Hufflepuff like Tonks herself, wearing black and yellow. Dumbledore surrounded the two immediately and horns from the Hogwarts band began blaring around them. People were clapping, yelling, whooping and laughing, all wearing gigantic smiles upon their faces. Like everyone else, Tonks and Remus stood up and joined in on the clapping as they tried to get a better view of Harry, searching for his grin of victory as he'd just come back with the gleaming Triwizard Cup, glowing heavenly blue.

Somebody suddenly screamed.

Once Tonks and the others got a clear view of Harry, the smiles suddenly fell from their faces, leaving no trace at all as if it was never there. For a bleak moment Tonks saw Cedric Diggory's lifeless body under Harry's flailing arms—he was fighting with Dumbledore to get back over to Cedric. The boy, no more than seventeen, wearing Hufflepuff's colors proudly, was dead, his eyes glossy and staring lifelessly up at the empty black sky. Tonks gasped and quickly made her way down to where Fudge and Dumbledore were, joining the other aurors and Amos Diggory and his wife. Screams were erupting from the crowd now and what had previously been a moment of excitement and glee had turned into panic and confusion.

"He's not dead, is he?" Silvia asked in disbelief.

"What about Harry?" Sirius asked, aggressively making his way through the crowd. "He was bleeding! I saw he was bleeding!"

"Sirius!" Remus called, helping Tonks get through.

"Get out of the way—aurors coming through!" Alexis said loudly, holding up what Tonks recognized was Marrick's auror badge and clearing up a path for them in the crowd.

Once Tonks and Remus got through, they saw that Harry was only injured, helplessly weeping and crying over Cedric's unmoving body. Harry was soaking in his own sweat, blood, and tears and Tonks saw that he was trembling as he wept. Sirius was at his side immediately, comforting him and pulling him back from Cedric Diggory's corpse. Harry was saying something that Tonks couldn't quite hear through all the noise.

"My goodness Dumbledore, what happened?" Silvia asked softly, pulling the headmaster aside while a worried gaze consumed her look.

Dumbledore shook his head and didn't speak. "My office, now, please," he said grimly.

Fudge rushed up to them, grasping at Remus and Tonks' arms and speaking in a weak, disbelieving voice, he said, "A boy's just been killed."

Remus, panic stricken, was with Tonks as they both made their way over to Harry on the ground. Sirius was still trying to pull him off of Cedric Diggory's dead body and Tonks helped with Dumbledore brushing back Harry's hair. Dumbledore pulled him firmly and Harry finally let go of Cedric, his wand gripped tightly in his hand—he was still crying and trembling. Tonks looked up, finding that Alexis was with Marrick in trying to keep others in their seats and covering the scene of Cedric's lifeless corpse.

"Harry, Harry!" Remus called after Sirius' voice.

"Harry, what happened?" Dumbledore demanded, looking at Harry with a gaze torn between worry and care. Harry was in Sirius' arms, struggling and gasping as if he'd run a marathon—he must have been by the looks of things.

"He's back!" Harry gasped. "He's back! Voldemort's back! Cedric, he asked me to bring his body back! I couldn't leave him," Harry cried. "Not there."

Dumbledore nodded and continued to push the hair out of Harry's weeping face saying, "It's alright Harry, it's alright. He's home, you both are." Dumbledore looked up at Sirius and both men exchanged knowing glances. Tonks saw Sirius nod before pulling Harry up to his feet, whispering words of comfort to him.

"Come on Harry," cooed Sirius softly. Silvia was at his side, holding Harry tightly while also being careful with her showing belly. Sirius continued to comfort his godson saying, "We'll go to the Hospital Wing after we speak to Dumbledore. Come on Harry." He gave Harry a gentle nudge. "Come on, Silvia and I will go with you."

"It's alright dear," said Silvia with a helpless look in her eyes. "It's alright, let's go." Her voice was so gentle but Tonks knew that everyone's words couldn't quite reach Harry at the moment. He was in too much shock.

"The body must be moved, Dumbledore," Cornelius Fudge insisted beside Tonks. "There are too many people!"

She suddenly felt a strong urge to kick him in the side of the head right at that moment. A boy had just been killed, Harry had claimed that Voldemort's back, and yet Fudge was concerned that there were too many people there looking at the dead body. Her anger must have been showing as Remus suddenly tightened his hold around her waist. She turned to him briskly and he shook his head.

Dumbledore got up, his lined and wizened face looking grim and he appeared scarier than Tonks had ever seen him before. She didn't see the twinkle in his eyes and it was then that the feeling of worry finished its consumption of her entirely. Dumbledore gripped Remus' arm tightly as he got up to his feet and he found Fudge instantly.

"To my office, Cornelius, the aurors will take care of him."

They looked down just as Dumbledore pause to see Amos Diggory and his wife weep and cry over their son's death. "What did the boy say, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked. "Did he say You-Know-Who's name?"

"To my office, now!" Dumbledore growled. "Remus, Nymphadora, you too please—Silvia had gone ahead with Sirius and Harry. You heard what Harry said, correct?"

Remus and Tonks nodded and followed Dumbledore out of the crowd. As she passed, Tonks pulled her unsuspecting cousin along, causing Alexis to trip and stagger slightly as she caught herself. Alexis let go of Marrick who, along with the other aurors Tonks works with, were trying to keep the rest of the crowds in their seat and organize the removal of the body from the Quidditch Pitch.

"What?" Alexis asked.

"We're going to Dumbledore's office. Harry said that You-Know-Who's back."

Her cousin's eyes widened and Alexis followed behind Remus and Tonks without question. Dumbledore turned around briefly to see that they and Fudge were all following him and so he continued onwards. Walking, Tonks felt as if she was gliding upon clouds. She'd never remembered walking so fast in her entire life. She did not run out of breath but before she even realized it, they'd arrived at Dumbledore's office and even gotten past the giant stone gargoyle that guarded the spiral staircase leading up to it. Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall with them along with a few faces from the Ministry Tonks could only recognize but not remember the names of. Harry, Sirius, and Silvia were there as well, looking gaunt and horrified. Sirius still had Harry in his arms, helping the boy stand as he looked as if he could collapse at any second. They were all gathered in Dumbledore's office.

"Minerva, impertube the door please," Dumbledore instructed and McGonagall obeyed.

They stood and listened in absolute silence as Dumbledore, with Sirius and Silvia's help, calmed Harry down and asked him to retell them everything that had happened inside the maze. For some reason, the cup had been turned into a Portkey prior to its placement into the maze and the mystery behind Bertha Jorkins' disappearance was made clear as day. Beside Remus, Tonks listened in horror as Harry described seeing Barty Crouch Jr. again, in Little Hangleton that time. Tonks' knuckled turned white as she balled her hands into fists—she and Marrick were so close to him and if they'd looked more thoroughly, they may have spotted him.

Harry explained how Crouch had returned to Azkaban, unnoticed by use of the Ghost Necklace—Alexis tensed and Fudge casted her a dirty look. Crouch had passed onto them the plans of reviving the Dark Lord, gained someone's fleshy hand as proof of their loyalty to the Dark Lord, and used it in a potion that brought Lord Voldemort back to his true form. Harry described the battle that took place, how his wand and Voldemort's had connected. Dumbledore mumbled, "_Priori Incantatem_," and Harry continued explaining how he saw his parents again along with several others killed by Voldemort's wand.

Upon mentioning of James and Lily, Tonks saw that all the color had drained from Sirius' face. He and Remus were reminded of an old wound of theirs that had barely closed—it was now being ripped open again with the sudden reminder. Remus' grip on Tonks' arm was so tight it began to hurt but she merely bit her lips and said nothing, knowing that inside, he was hurting much more than she was.

Once Harry finished retelling his nightmare, Dumbledore finally insisted that Sirius and Silvia take him to the hospital wing. They walked with him quietly and when the wooden door opened, a mass of flaming red hair enveloped everyone's vision. Mrs. Weasley had charged up and hugged Harry before she was pulled aside by Dumbledore, asking her to let him rest and saying she and the others may stay with him. Tonks saw that Ron and Hermione was there too as was Bill. She raised an eyebrow and only managed one small question before Bill followed his mother and everyone else out of the room with Harry.

"Where's Arthur?" Tonks asked.

"He's comforting his friend Amos," said Bill quietly. "Amos Diggory just lost his only son. It's a huge blow."

"Yeah," Tonks whispered and nodded, letting Bill go. She turned back to see Remus' gaunt face looking at her, his eyes expelling a feeling of pain and fear that scared her. "Remus, what's wrong?" she questioned.

"Voldemort's back," he whispered and she knew everything he ever dreaded was coming true. Unknowing of what to say, Tonks could only take hold of his hand and stand beside him, assuring him she was there and she wouldn't abandon him for anything.

Behind his desk, Dumbledore had one hand on his waist and he was pacing, his forehead lined more than ever and his grim look seemed permanent. Beside him, even Fawkes sensed the bad feeling of his master and kept quiet, his amber eyes simply looking from one face to another in the room full of people.

"What do you want to say, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked wearily.

"You heard what Harry Potter said," Dumbledore told him and speaking to everyone else in the room. "Lord Voldemort is back—"

Fudge gasped and said, "Don't use his name."

"Do not fear his name, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "A boy has just been killed tonight and it's more than obvious! Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory had confronted Voldemort and—"

"He's. _Not. Back!_" Fudge insisted, his face glowing red and stricken by fear.

"What could have killed Cedric Diggory then? You tell me!" Dumbledore was raising his voice for what seemed like the very first time. "Harry Potter said that Lord Voldemort is back and I believe him! There's Cedric Diggory's dead body to prove it! His return was aided by Barty Crouch Jr. which for the past year had been causing headaches at the Ministry, am I correct?" Dumbledore's voice was only increasing and with the news of Voldemort's return, everyone's feelings, fears, and nightmares, had all reached a crescendo.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a _tragic_ accident!"

Tonks was growing frustrated and said, "What creature in that maze do you think could have killed a boy? There were no fatal wounds on his body! The only thing we saw were minor cuts and scratches as appeared on Harry himself!"

"Keep out of this, Auror Tonks," said Fudge.

Teeth clenched, Tonks was storming up to him when Remus suddenly held her back. He held her hands tightly and once again when she turned to look back at him so fast that she cricked her neck, Remus simply shook his head, his lips unmoving. She grumbled, roughly shook his hold off of her, and returned to where she stood between him and Alexis who was oddly quiet as well.

"Voldemort is back, Cornelius and if you do nothing, further events will only prove it."

"You-Know-Who is _not_ back," said Fudge desperately. Tonks felt that he was only fooling himself. She believed in Harry's words entirely. "Deaths happen in these tournaments, that was why it'd been cancelled for centuries!"

"How do you explain Crouch then?" Alexis snapped, taking a step forward and drawing attention from the few other aurors and Ministry officials in the room. "It all makes sense now, don't you think? Barty Crouch Jr. didn't just impersonate Mad-Eye Moody to kill Harry Potter! He wanted to bring the Dark Lord back and he bloody succeeded!"

"Alexis Black, watch your tone!" Fudge hissed.

The argument between Dumbledore and Fudge continued while all the others stood quietly to the side, coming to the realization themselves. Tonks believed in everything Harry said. Like Remus, she was already preparing for the worst. Voldemort had returned and unless the Ministry of Magic did something, the entire world would be turned upside-down. By the looks of things, Tonks had a bad feeling Fudge would do everything in his power to prevent Ministry involvement.

Behind her, the wooden door to Dumbledore's office opened again and she saw Sirius sneak in quietly. He held a finger up to his lips and hushed as she and Remus turned to face him. "Harry's just gone to sleep," he said softly under Dumbledore and Fudge's argument—Tonks had never seen Dumbledore lose his grip before and the sight truly was scary. "Voldemort's back and we need to speak to Dumbledore about what to do. What's the Minister saying?"

Remus said nothing and moved aside to give Sirius full view of the argument.

"For the last time Dumbledore, You-Know-Who is not back! HE'S NOT BACK I TELL YOU! HE'S DEAD! HE WAS DEAD THIRTEEN YEARS AGO!" Fudge was screaming, his face beat red and even the aurors didn't know what to do, standing there helplessly.

"Cornelius," Dumbledore began but he couldn't manage another word when Sirius suddenly tackled Fudge to the ground.

Tonks' jaw dropped a foot down. She hadn't even seen it coming. One moment Sirius was quiet and passive beside her, the next he'd just tackled the Ministry for Magic to the ground. As an auror, it was her job to pry him off of Fudge but she couldn't even bring herself to move. All the other aurors and Ministry officials stood to watch for a minute before they lifted their legs and pulled and flailing Sirius Black off of Fudge who was bursting with rage and so red he looked as if he was about to explode and die.

"YOU INCOMPETENT, HALF-WITTED, SELFISH DOLT!" Sirius shrieked at the top of his lungs. Alexis was behind him, pulling him back, her wand out although held against the other aurors, not her own cousin. "YOU'RE JUST TOO COWARDLY TO ADMIT THAT VOLDEMORT IS BACK YOU USELESS BASTARD! IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT THE WHOLE BLOODY MINISTRY WILL COME CRASHING DOWN UNDER YOUR NAME!"

"Sirius, Sirius!" Remus called, helping Alexis restrain him. Tonks was in front of Sirius, her wand out as well but held against the other aurors.

"ARREST HIM!" Fudge shrieked. "HOW DARE YOU ATTACK ME? ARREST HIM I SAY! PUT THAT MADMAN BEHIND BARS!"

"Technically you can't, Minister," said Dumbledore coldly, standing between Sirius and the other aurors. "By Ministry decree number 697 section 5 paragraph B, any witch or wizard with disagreement with the Minister for Magic is allowed to confront him one on one and sort things out in any way possible as long as no injury is acquired. I find that you have not received any injury whatsoever and Sirius Black _is_, in fact, a wizard. It is sufficed to say that he has not broken any law and cannot be arrested."

To Tonks, it would have been funny had the situation not be so grim and serious. She watched in silence as Sirius roughly shook their hands off of him, let out a hard breath, and glared at Fudge. She could see Fudge squirming and practically melting under the malicious glare of the Black family. Three sets of eyes were glaring at him. Before long, Fudge had left Dumbledore's office, followed suit by his group of aurors and Ministry officials, and Dumbledore had relinquished the task of convincing Fudge to take action.

Once the door closed again, it was just them, standing in Dumbledore's office, struck by a ringing silence. Severus Snape and McGonagall stood together in a corner, quietly watching everything. Dumbledore was wearily pacing behind his desk, sighing non-stop. Remus and Tonks had just moved aside from the door to let in Silvia, Marrick, and Moody who also looked worn by the events of the night. Silvia took Sirius' hand immediately and stood beside him, sensing his boiling anger and was calming him down. Marrick was behind Alexis, hovering protectively over her, and Moody approached Dumbledore, his magical eye no doubt looking at all their faces through the back of his head.

"Albus, what now?" Moody asked in a low voice.

"Harry woke up for a moment," said Silvia quietly. "But he's fallen back to sleep. I left Molly to care for him—she'll look after him well."

Sirius nodded and patted her hand on his shoulder gently without speaking. Like Remus whom had been struck speechless, both Marauders were staring at Dumbledore, waiting.

"The boy's body?" Tonks turned and asked Marrick softly.

"Amos and his wife have got him," said Marrick in a flat, empty voice.

"Albus," McGonagall finally spoke up and Dumbledore stopped his pacing to look at them. His eyes were dark and his face held shadows casted by the lighting of the room.

"There's only one thing we can do," said Dumbledore. "If the Ministry won't do anything about Lord Voldemort's return, there's no one else but us." Tonks saw that he'd once again exchanged knowing looks with Remus, Sirius, Moody, and McGonagall especially.

"We are re-establishing the Order," Moody growled and Dumbledore nodded.

"The Order?" Tonks asked, looking at Remus and Sirius.

"The Order of the Phoenix," said Dumbledore in an almost godly voice. Tonks looked up and felt something impressive about him speaking of the Order as he stood beside his vermillion phoenix, Fawkes. "It is a secret society I've founded in the last war to fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Anyone wishing to join is welcome and their help is greatly appreciated." His eyes shifted from Tonks to Alexis, Marrick, and Silvia. "We will be doing a lot of underground work and I will not lie to you—during the last war, we've suffered a great number of losses. Now, with the Ministry refusing to help, I'm afraid the Order is the only thing that stands between Voldemort and Harry Potter…the world entire…."

"I want to join," said Tonks immediately, not letting go of Remus' hand but taking a step forward. She was quickly followed by firm nods from Marrick and Silvia. Her eyes then turned to Alexis whom she hadn't heard from.

Alexis looked up asking, "When's the first meeting?"

Dumbledore managed a ghost of a smile and continued. "We will schedule the first meeting once we have all the members and tasks in order. Everyone will resume their roll from the first war," and Tonks briefly saw Dumbledore lock eyes with a quiet Severus Snape, standing in the shadows before continuing, "Severus will be playing spy for us, getting back into Voldemort's circle and passing us information from there."

"Not this again," said Sirius, shaking his head. He obviously didn't trust Snape at all.

Oddly, Snape said nothing in response to Sirius and simply stood there, looking grim and incredibly unwilling. If Tonks thought he was the dreariest man alive on usual days, her entire perception had changed as she looked at him then. Snape, like Remus and Sirius earlier, looked like an old wound of his had just been reopened and someone had spread salt upon it. He didn't look like he wanted to be involved at all with the Order _or_ the Death Eaters. Tonks thought he actually looked like he really wanted to simply disappear into thin air if it was possible.

"Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

All eyes turned to Snape to see a small nod from him then they returned to Dumbledore.

"And Alastor will resume his post as second-in-command and lead the Order meetings in case I am caught up at Hogwarts and unable to make it." Moody nodded firmly. "Now our first priority is Harry's safety. As I have told Sirius and everyone else at an earlier point in time, the safest location for Harry is with his aunt and uncle where his mother's protection will shield him from any attacks, at least until he is of age. With Voldemort back, I think it wise for us to leave him there for most of the summer."

Sirius grumbled something no one else but Silvia could hear and she didn't even hush him, possibly agreeing with him.

"Now for us," said Dumbledore, walking around his desk and standing before them. "We must hold the first meeting quickly although after the students leave Hogwarts. We need a place to call Headquarters, one not easily found and yet easy to get to."

"We can't use Godric's Hollow," said Moody. "It's too out of the way."

"Can't we set up an old warehouse like in the last war?" McGonagall suggested.

"The Death Eaters will know, Minerva. I would think they'd learn from their first lesson," Dumbledore replied kindly.

Sirius suddenly spoke up. "My parents' old house," he said. "Number 12 Grimmauld Place. It's in London so that'll be convenient for most of us—"

"No," Alexis said suddenly and Tonks didn't even have to wonder why.

"It's the safest place," Sirius argued although softly. "My father put every security measure known to wizardkind on it when he lived there."

"It's owned by the Black family. How do you know Bellatrix Lestrange won't be able to access it?" Alexis asked. Tonks knew she obviously didn't want them to use that house—she didn't want to be near anything associated with the old Black family. But Tonks found it odd that Alexis would use Bellatrix Lestrange's name while the woman was trapped in Azkaban while Narcissa Malfoy who in broad view could be associated with Death Eaters, is _outside_ of prison.

"It's unplottable and is ideal for headquarters. Lexi, we can't let a little family problem prevent us from utilizing such a good place that will ensure our safety."

"It's hell in tangible form," Alexis argued. "You yourself despise the place."

"Yes, I do hate it and would burn it to the ground myself, but we have to use our brains and right now, the only place my brain can come up with that's safe and ideal for Headquarters is that ruddy old place."

Alexis huffed, knowing she could never win an actual argument with her cousin.

Dumbledore settled them. "Sirius, is it true that Grimmauld Place is unplottable?"

"I would think so, yes," Sirius replied.

"I think Grimmauld Place is our best option," Moody growled. "Unless if anyone has a better solution?" No one said anything and Dumbledore nodded.

"We need a secret keeper," Dumbledore said.

"Alexis?" said McGonagall, gently. "I believe you are an Unspeakable."

"You're trained to keep all sorts of secrets. You'd be ideal," said Silvia.

"With your training as an Unspeakable in Occlumency," Marrick began. "You can keep any secret. We should have you as secret keeper."

"Why can't Snape be secret keeper then?" Alexis retorted.

Sirius growled, "Alexis Black."

"No, no, I think Alexis is trying to say something," said Dumbledore softly. "It is clear that if a Death Eater were to try and pick out which one of us we'd choose as secret keeper, they'd target the ones who know Occlumency and are the _ideal_ secret keepers. Alexis is too obvious, as is Severus."

"Sirius then?" Tonks asked. "It's your bloody house."

"I would love to but—"

"They'll guess Sirius next," said Dumbledore. "He's Harry's godfather. It's too obvious."

"Mad-Eye," said Alexis and Silvia together. "Mad-Eye's mad as anything. They'll think he's too crazy and paranoid to be trusted as secret keeper," Alexis continued.

"When in reality, he's still sane and trustworthy as ever," Silvia finished.

"Alastor," said Dumbledore, lighting up. "This task will be yours then." Moody nodded again with a grunt. "You and I will come by that house and put our own protection upon it. Sirius, you come with us." Sirius nodded and grumbled. "The Fidelius Charm is essential. Alastor will contact everyone on when the first meeting will be."

Seeing that the long meeting was coming to an end, Tonks nodded as did everyone else. While others were filing out of Dumbledore's office one by one, unspeaking, Tonks turned to Remus whom had grown taciturn. He didn't speak, his lips barely moved, and he simply sighed. Worry was etched across his forehead and taking his hand, Tonks could feel him tense and bottled up. She tried to talk to him but in presence of others, he would say nothing. Unsure of what to do, she did what her instincts told her and pulled him away from all the others, walking quietly down a corridor of the school together.

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><p>At the end of the night, it was just them. Sirius and the others had gone to see Harry and on Madam Pomfrey's lenience, more than six people were allowed to visit just that one time. Remus and Tonks though, had walked quietly through the empty corridors of Hogwarts, recalling fond memories of the castle but were unable to speak lightly of them anymore with the threat of Voldemort out there lingering in the back of their minds like an angry and wicked ghost. They'd stopped beside a large, glassless window and were perched upon the window sill. Tonks sat on one side, Remus sat on the other of the arched window and they were looking at each other, unspeaking. The night around them was quiet and peaceful and it seemed like the soft, warm winds of summer and the starry, starry sky were taunting them. While nature was enjoying a gradual and beautiful shift into hot, sunny weather, their hearts and minds were preparing for a storm to come. It was definitely taunting them, nature.<p>

"Are you ever going to speak again?" asked Tonks. She was tired and Remus hadn't ushered a word since Harry's return.

Finally, he spoke and finally, she heard his voice again. "I have nothing to say."

"You seem like you have a lot to say," she replied, knowing him too well. "You're bottling it all up inside again."

"What's the use in letting it out?" he questioned earnestly.

"What's the use?" Tonks asked, hugging her legs and looking at him. "Are you bloody kidding me? Of course letting it out will make you feel better…"

"People all around me are already freaking out. It's only cruel to burden them with my thoughts as well."

"Can't you at least talk then?" Tonks asked. "And _not_ act like a complete prat?"

Remus looked up at her. Under the strange light of the moon and the shadows the castle walls casted, a darker side of Remus was suddenly revealed to Tonks. She took a moment to look at him and came to understand that he was only human. He feared the future because in the last war, while others were celebrating, Remus was mourning the loss of his friends. He'd lost everything in the last war and the darker side of him was attempting to push everything away so he wouldn't lose it again. You can't lose what you don't have…that was his logic. Tonks could read him clearer than a book.

"You're not trying to push everyone away, are you?" she asked, unbelieving of her own reading of him.

He didn't answer.

Tonks shifted and scooted closer to him, sitting on her knees to look at him. "Remus, you're being ridiculous," she sighed.

"Nymphadora, you don't understand."

"What don't I understand?" she demanded.

"You were only a child in the last war—"

"And you're saying I don't get what war is about? Well for your information you noble prat! My entire family was torn apart in the last war! Lexi was barely five when her parents were murdered before her eyes! I had to watch my monster of an aunt torture my own mother! Just because we were kids yesterday doesn't mean we don't understand squat today!" Her voice was steadily rising and Tonks only calmed down when Remus took her hand and held it.

"You're screaming," he said softly. "Others will hear."

Somehow, his words only made her more irritant. "SO WHAT IF OTHERS HEAR? SO WHAT IF I WAKE THE WHOLE BLOODY SCHOOL UP? YOU'RE JUST BEING AN ARSE AND YOU KNOW IT! DO YOU PLAN ON PUSHING US AWAY, HUH?"

He didn't answer. She read him too well, too correctly.

Tonks inhaled a deep breath. "What's wrong with you?"

"Voldemort's back." He let out a hollow, humorless laugh in mockery of himself. "And we were joking around, never even considering that a second war could occur. This time, Voldemort's back with a vengeance, I can tell. He'll learn from his mistakes and this time, we'll lose so much more than what was lost in the first war." He looked up at her, his ocean blue eyes expelling pain and fear but then he turned away again to look at the quiet night that was mocking them, taunting them.

"Remus, look at me." She reached for his face but he turned away.

Remus didn't say another word. He only looked deeper into the star-strewn sky.

"Remus John Lupin, you look at me right now." Tonks' voice was strong and powerful and the sheer tone of it forced Remus to turn and meet her eyes. "What did you ask me to promise you earlier today?"

He didn't speak.

"What did you ask me to promise you today?" she demanded, her voice rising again.

"No matter what happens, keep smiling…"

"You said it yourself that in the last war, everyone was so worried and stress, that negative feeling caused you to turn and doubt each other. Shouldn't you learn from that mistake this time and let yourself smile and laugh and face the war bravely?"

"I DIDN'T EXPECT FOR ANOTHER WAR TO UNFOLD!" Remus replied; his voice loud and he withdrew his breath, stunned that he'd actually screamed at her.

Tonks didn't cringe or retract. "Let it out," she said.

He shook his head.

"LET IT OUT!"

"I have so much more to lose this time around," he confessed. "In the last war, all I had were Lily, James, Sirius, and Peter. Lily and James were murdered. Sirius was sentenced to jail for a crime he didn't commit. And Peter betrayed us. This time around…I finally have someone who loves me…"

"Sirius_ does_ love you and so did James. They love you like a brother," Tonks told him.

He shook his head. "I lost them, didn't I? Now this time, Silvia and Sirius, they've just gotten married and they're expecting a baby. I made a great friend in Alexis and Marrick is very kind. And you…Nymphadora, I can't lose you." There were tears in his eyes and Tonks finally saw the reality of the impending war and what it meant to Remus. There was a chance that at any given time, he would lose everything…again. "I don't want to lose anything again."

"You won't," she assured him. "You won't lose anything again, I promise you. Just don't push us away. Let people in. Don't push anyone away."

"I don't doubt Harry's words for a second," said Remus, looking at her with a piercing gaze. "Voldemort's back. We could lose everything and this time around, we have so much more to lose."

She lunged forward and hugged him, nearly knocking them off the windowsill. Tonks held onto Remus tightly, afraid to let him go. "You made me promise you that I'd never stop smiling." She forced a smile onto her face. "And I promised you. Now promise me you'll never push us away."

Remus didn't answer. He only clung onto her, helplessly like a dying man clinging onto the last bits of life out of desperation and need. His fingers grasped her robes and he held her tightly against him, afraid that if he let her go, he would lose her like he'd lost everything in the last war. In the end, while others were celebrating and laughing, he was seconds from killing himself, having lost everything within one night.

"Promise me," she said.

Finally, Remus relented. "I promise." He could only hope that by their words alone, they would somehow seal an agreement with life to not be so cruel. He nodded again and mumbled into her shoulder, in a muffled voice saying, "I promise."


	36. Epilogue: Dreary Grim Old Place

**Author's Note:**

This is it for _The Most Beautiful Mendacity_! Thank you so much to everyone for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting! Your support means so much to me, thank you! xD As for the sequel to this, I will title it _The Phoenix Rising_ and will have it up soon I hope. I am also beginning to work on a story entirely my own while writing _The Phoenix Rising_ so the updates might be a bit slower. I hope you don't mind. As for now, I hope you enjoy this epilogue and also the last of summer. Oh my god...It's August, oh why can't summer last longer?

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><p><strong>Chapter 36 – Epilogue: Dreary Grim Old Place<strong>

The sound of the train whistle was blaring through her eardrums. Steam and foggy vapors began to envelope the platform as the Hogwarts Express approached, coming to a gentle stop. Its whistle was still blaring, and in the mixture of sound and fumes, Tonks was momentarily reminded of the train rides many years ago when she herself would be leaving the train, searching for her own parents. She inhaled deeply; lingering in the memory for just a little longer before abandoning the space she took and went searching for him.

"Excuse me, pardon me, move aside please," said Tonks as cordially as she could.

As students exited through the doors of the train, parents and family crowded up to greet them. Tonks was having great difficulty making her way through the dense crowd and for several seconds found herself unable to move as she was squashed between a rather wide woman and a portly man searching for their equally cow-like son only several feet away. Rolling her eyes, Tonks lunged through the crowd and finally reached a small clearing where she'd tripped over someone else's feet and went flailing out of the crowd.

"Bloody hell!" Her scream however, was muffled by the noise of the crowd.

Much to her surprise, a set of warm, protecting arms were suddenly wrapped around her waist. His hold dropped down for a moment to break her fall and in one graceful motion, he pulled her back up to her feet again. Now she stood beside him, a man grown taciturn with the news of impending war. Tonks let out a sigh and stared through the mass of students and parents just like he was.

"Have you seen Harry yet?" she asked.

Remus shook his head. He was pallid, his face haggard and drawn, and his clothes hung off his bony frame as if he was a hat stand, nothing more. Looking at him, Tonks sighed. She quietly slipped her hand into his and held on firmly. For a long moment, they did not speak. They simply stood there for what felt like an eternity in what they'd describe as comfortable silence. Finally, Tonks only loosened her grip when she sensed movement within his warm hands. He shifted to the side and before she could really process it, they were walking. With Remus, she was making her way rather gracefully through the dense crowd.

"What did you promise me?" she asked him.

"That I wouldn't push others away," he said softly.

"And what are you doing right now?"

Again, Remus was quiet. He was thinking, she knew. He let out a sigh, stopped their footsteps, and turned to her. He held her by her arms, holding her tenderly but tightly. "I'm not going to lie," he said. "It's gotten so much harder to smile and joke around now that we know Voldemort is out there."

"Then we must _try_ even harder to smile," she said. If Remus was going to make her promise to never stop smiling, she wasn't going to be the only one with a promise she cannot break. He had to go through it with her as well.

He nodded, licked his lips, looked down at his feet, and then up again. He smiled.

"Better," said Tonks, showing him a kind grin of her own.

She couldn't deny that when Remus smiled, his looked younger than ever before. His eyes lit up, his weariness gone, and his age deceiving. She held his face, placed a gentle kiss upon his lips, then spun on her heel and took his hand. They were walking again.

Remus and Tonks were passing through several familiar people, friends of Harry she'd seen from school. "Reckon Molly and the others have finished greeting Harry yet?" she asked.

"Reckon so," Remus answered. He stood on his tiptoes for a moment. "I see Sirius has found his godson, at last."

"Took him long enough," Tonks replied.

They were passing Fred and George Weasley now—Tonks could see their brilliant grins brightening up their faces. She could finally tell them apart, but only for that one time. Fred was with a girl named Angelina Johnson—Tonks saw the girl's father once or twice at work. And George…was happily conversing with Alexis. Alexis was holding Marrick's hand but she let him go temporarily to give George a tight goodbye hug and a fleeting, friendly kiss upon his forehead. She did the same for his twin when Fred came by but Tonks saw that George's reaction to her friendly nature was much more…tinted. He was blushing scarlet.

"What do you mean you can't come over often this summer?" one of the twins demanded. Tonks still couldn't tell their voices apart.

"I will be busy with something else!" Alexis replied, laughing. "Marrick is too!"

"Honest, we're not lying," said Marrick in his deep but amiable voice.

"So I guess this is goodbye then?" another twin asked rather softly.

Alexis nodded with an apologetic look on her face. "Sadly," she said. "Owls, we'll keep in touch by owls. Otherwise, I won't see you as often…"

Tonks and Remus had walked past them. She figured it'd be wise to give her cousin space to say goodbye to her own friends. Tonks knew exactly the reason why Alexis may not be able to see Fred and George as often that summer. Voldemort was back. They had joined Dumbledore's re-established Order of the Phoenix. No doubt they would be busy by various tasks and covert missions. There seemed to be no more time for fun and games when the most evil wizard of all time was back and kicking somewhere out there.

"There's Sirius," said Remus.

She looked up. He was still smiling, his smile more genuine now. "Wonderful."

Sirius was giving Harry yet another hug, followed quickly by Silvia. Molly and Arthur Weasley passed by Remus and Tonks with a kind smile and a pat on the shoulder. When Tonks could finally reach her cousin, his pregnant wife, and his godson, she found that there was longing in all of their eyes. Standing beside Remus, she was looking at a family, a _proper_ family, as Sirius likes to call it. It was sad to say that soon, Harry would have to leave—very soon.

"Write, tell me everything that's going on," Harry insisted. He looked better than when Tonks had last seen him, unconscious in a hospital bed marred by cuts and bruises with tear streaks still new running down his pallid face.

Silvia was chuckling. "Usually, _we're_ the one telling you to write."

"I will," he promised. "Every week." Harry smiled, seeming less burdened than before but he only seemed…. He then turned to Remus and Tonks, his shockingly green eyes lit up with delight. "Remus! Tonks!"

Instinctively, Tonks pulled him in for a tight hug and Remus clapped Harry on the shoulder, a soft chuckle escaping his throat. For Tonks, she'd grown to see Harry as a sort of nephew of hers while Remus saw him like a nephew as well. It was strange. Tonks thought Alexis and Marrick always treated Harry more like a little brother. When they put everything together, Sirius and Silvia being godparents, Remus and Tonks being aunt and uncle, and Alexis and Marrick treating him like a sibling, it just goes to show how messed up even their non-blood-related family was.

"What's on your mind?" Remus asked. He was hiding a smirk and Tonks knew he was teasing the strange look she had on her face.

She shook her head. "Nothing." To make him smile, she stuck her tongue out. His grin brightened and she turned back to Harry. "Sorry you have to go back to the Dursleys."

Harry shrugged. "If Dumbledore says I have to, I can't refuse."

"Maybe you can rebel a little, you know?" Sirius chimed in and he was nudging Remus along. "You know, you don't have to rely on them for food anymore."

Catching on quickly, Remus said, "We'll send you food by Hedwig or one of _our_ owls."

"Give them chaos," Sirius ebbed. "They need a little disorder in their miserable lives."

"But I'm not allowed to use magic," Harry was grinning now, looking much more like his dad. Tonks watched with Silvia and they both quietly marveled how the Marauders looked so complete with Harry, Sirius, and Remus together.

"Your father didn't need magic to spark chaos at that muggle gas station," Remus smiled.

"He looks so much like James," Silvia whispered to Tonks. "With Lily's eyes of course."

Sirius was laughing, patting Harry's back. "He nearly burned the whole place down!"

"Not burn down, he would have exploded it," Remus corrected, chuckling.

Before long, Platform 9 ¾ had become less crowded. With great hesitation, Sirius finally let Harry go, waving to him as he crossed the barrier onto King's Cross station to leave with his muggle aunt and uncle. Tonks saw sadness in Sirius' eyes as he waved to the empty wall but didn't have time to dwell upon it as he suddenly turned back to them, grinning.

"Now where is dear Alexis?" he questioned, looking around. "We have places to go."

"Where are we going?" Tonks asked, raising an eyebrow.

Remus turned to her, took her hand and raised his index finger up to his lips. "Bad place to discuss," he whispered and she nodded, understanding why.

With Remus being slightly taller than Sirius, he was the first to spot Alexis and Marrick walking back. Tonks stood on her tiptoes and followed Remus' gaze, looking for her raven-haired cousin whom she hoped had already said bye to Harry before traipsing off into the crowd. When Tonks' eyes found Alexis, she was suddenly distracted by the sight of another person, another woman from the House of Black.

"Narcissa," Tonks breathed and Sirius noticed as well.

Between the clearing smoke and small crowd, a path had been opened for them. Tonks, Sirius and the others were now looking past Alexis to where Narcissa Malfoy stood with her son Draco, both quietly waiting to get out of the crowd. Their blonde hair was identical and so was their haughty faces, however Draco looked more like his father and held less of the Black family looks that somehow Tonks had not escaped.

Once Alexis reached them, both Tonks and Sirius locked eyes with Narcissa. Looking at her, Tonks found the striking resemblance between the woman and her mother. She no longer felt disgusted by it but she did feel a sense of pity. Narcissa Malfoy could have been so different if only she'd made decisions a little differently. It wasn't in her place to worry however and so Tonks quickly shoved the though aside. Before she turned away, she could have sworn she saw Narcissa's lips twitch to what looked like a ghost of a smile. The aristocratic woman inclined her head and Tonks felt the need to do the same. She stood and watched, a small smile playing upon her lips, making Narcissa do a double take before the woman finally turned and left with her son.

"Weird," said Sirius beside her.

Tonks turned to him. "We never said we were normal."

"Touché," he replied in a low voice.

"Where are we going, Sirius?" Tonks turned and asked him.

Sirius held up a finger and rolled his eyes at Remus who only smiled. "Hold on," Sirius said. "He should be here soon."

"Wh—"

Before Tonks could finish her question, there was suddenly a loud _crack_ and someone screamed, "_CONSTANT VIGILANCE!_"

"Ah!"

Oddly, it wasn't Tonks who had screamed. Tonks stood with her wand out, pointed right at Mad-Eye Moody's nose (or what's left of it) while Alexis stood to the side, her eyes wide and she was gasping for breath while patting her chest. Remus was chuckling reservedly while Sirius was outright laughing—his laughter was more of a loud bark. Silvia and Marrick, two aurors who had known Mad-Eye for a long time, had their wands out but were simply smiling.

"I see I trained you well," Moody laughed.

"You. _Giant. Dolt!_" Alexis was swatting at Moody with his own staff which only made him chuckle. Tonks had to admit, although Alexis screamed, she had guts. Even Tonks never dared touch his walking stick.

"Ready to go then?" he asked.

It was Tonks' turn to panic. She had no idea what they were doing. "Go where?"

"Hadn't Remus told you?" Moody asked.

Tonks turned to Remus and narrowed her eyes while he smiled apologetically and rubbed the nape of his neck. "I didn't have the chance, sorry," he apologized. "There were too many people around and before I could tell you, well, Alastor showed up."

"We're going to headquarters," Moody smiled and whispered to her.

"What exactly are we doing there anyways?" Silvia asked.

"We need to clean it up," said Moody. "I've talked to Sirius about it."

"When Dumbledore, Mad-Eye and me went to see it, the whole place was like a house of horror! We need to clean it up to make it safe for our use. The protection spells placed on it make it as safe as Hogwarts but the _inside_ is a completely different story," Sirius explained.

Tonks found herself groaning into Remus' shirt as she followed them. Not knowing where she was going, Tonks held tightly onto Remus' arm as he used side-along apparition. She hated the process but there really wasn't anything she could do about it. A sound of wind rushed through her ear and she felt as if she was being forced through a very small tube. Being squeezed in all direction was not fun at all, Tonks thought; especially if you're a woman.

Her feet finally touched ground again and Tonks let out a sigh of relief. She took a moment to stable herself and was happy to find that Remus was holding onto her, his hand around her waist and the only stability she needed was from him.

"Thank you," she smiled.

Remus made a face. "I seemed to not have enough deliberation when apparating here," he said placidly as he stroked her eyebrow.

Panic struck her and she hit her own face while trying to feel whether her eyebrow was still there. "Bloody hell Remus," she said just as Sirius and Silvia appeared beside them, bemused as to why Tonks was freaking out. "Sirius, wait no, you're untrustworthy." Ignoring an indignant "Hey!" from Sirius, Tonks turned to Silvia. "Are my eyebrows intact?" she asked.

Silvia was more confused than ever. "What are you talking about Tonks? They're fine."

Growling as she turned back to Remus and jumping, Tonks swat him on the side of the arm. "Remus! You're so mean!"

He was laughing and he hugged her to prevent her hitting him any further. She couldn't deny that she was happy he was laughing again but she didn't really enjoy the cost of the laughter being a heart attack on her.

Luckily, by the time Mad-Eye and Alexis and Marrick arrived, Tonks was calm again. Remus and Sirius were still beside her, bullying her. Sirius was stroking his eyebrow and snickering while Remus whistled innocently at the sky. Tonks grumbled—for the sake of laughter, she was being bullied.

"Here, look at this piece of paper and pass it on to the others," Moody grunted as he led them out onto the pavement facing a small stretch of houses.

There was a pungent smell of rotting rubbish attack her nose but that smell vanished quickly once they reach the midpoint between house number eleven and house number thirteen. The piece of paper Moody handed them were passed down from Alexis to Marrick to Silvia to Remus and finally to Tonks.

_The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

"What the hell?" Tonks mumbled.

Moody hushed her and rolling her eyes, she memorized what was on the parchment scrawled in Moody's narrow handwriting. Following what he'd taught her, Tonks muttered an incoherent spell and set the piece of paper on fire. For a short moment she watched as the flames engulfed the parchment and it floated down to the ground in a charred piece of ash.

Not long after Tonks began wondering about what was written on the parchment had a door suddenly emerge, by magic of course, between houses eleven and thirteen. Quickly following the door, dirty walls and grimy windows came into view. Tonks openly gaped at it. An entire house was squeezing its way in between number eleven and number thirteen. The final touch to the house was a wrought iron gate, wonky in its stance, appearing right out of the ground with a loud clang.

Tonks looked around. No muggles were around them and the windows of the other houses were all dark—they must either be out or at work.

"Quickly, in," said Moody and Tonks followed with no further questions.

They crossed the gate and being an auror, Tonks was able to sense the magical premise she'd just entered. They made their way up to the worn stone steps before the newly materialized door, its black paint shabby and scratched. Her eyes looked down and at the same time as Alexis, Tonks had noticed that the gleaming silver doorknob was in the form of a twisted serpent. Mirroring her raven-haired cousin, Tonks gagged at the Slytherin pride.

Sirius took out his wand and tapped the door once. Tonks heard a series of clicking and chains clinking and gears shifting. The door creaked open and a musky smell of abandonment shook their senses. Tonks followed, walking behind Sirius and Silvia with Remus at her side. They were all squeezing into a long, narrow hall with many doors lining it all the way down to the set of stairs at the end and another half-open door that showed sight of what looked like a kitchen. Tonks wanted to gag but she was afraid a spider would perch itself on her tongue if she opened her mouth. The house had a thick layer of dust upon it and cobwebs lined the place like doilies for decorations. Spiders, rats, and all sorts of bugs yet unknown to humans made themselves at home in the old place.

"Who in their right mind would use this place as headquarters?" Remus asked softly.

Tonks turned to her right to see Sirius chuckling. "I didn't expect it to look so terrible."

"Brilliant one you've got there," Alexis whispered to Silvia, her eyes gesturing to Sirius and Silvia merely giggled and shook her head.

"It's so dreary here," said Marrick, cautiously approaching what Tonks thought was a shrunken elf head and poking at it with his wand. "Bloody hell, is that…"

"It's an elf!" Alexis gasped, horrified. "Oh what fresh hell is this?"

"Clean it up," said Moody. "The first meeting is coming up soon."

"And to think, I'd lived here for sixteen years," Sirius sighed, looking around.

Moody was suddenly laughing and by the sound of his laughter, Tonks could tell she needed to be ready for _something_. "Guess you'll get used to it quickly then," Moody grunted.

"What do you mean?" Tonks questioned.

"You're living here!" Moody was enjoying himself. He _had_ to be enjoying himself.

"WHAT?" they all yelled.

"Oh yes," Moody laughed. "Dumbledore wants this place looked after twenty-four-seven. We can't leave important information of the Order lying around unwatched! And of course, it's a whole lot safer here than any of your places will ever be—it's for your own safety as well."

"B-but…I have a flat!" Alexis replied.

"What if someone comes in and murder you in your bed?" Moody growled.

Tonks scoffed. "Like that will ever happen. They'll be killed by one of her trinkets first."

"Alastor is right," Remus sighed, looking around at the dismal place. "In the last war, plenty of Order members were murdered right in their own house." He exchanged dark glances with Sirius but only briefly. "It's safer if we stay here."

"At least have someone here over the night," said Moody. "For instance, Marrick can go to his home if he wants."

Tonks ignored Marrick's and even Alexis' quiet "Yes!" with a feeling of envy. She relied on Alexis to provide a home for her and if Alexis leaves the flat in London, it meant Tonks would be trapped there, in that dismal hell of a house.

"Clean this place up, pack your bags, move in as fast as you can. I'll send word on when the first meeting is after we sort it out with everybody," Moody told them, taking backwards steps towards the black front door.

"And what will you be doing?" Silvia asked, stepping towards him.

"Helping Dumbledore," Moody smiled. "It's your job to clean this place up and make it livable, not mine." With another grunt and laugh and a final wave, Moody disappeared out the door, closing it with a click behind him.

"Sirius Orion Black, what have you done?" Silvia groaned.

"Bloody hell," Tonks sighed, burying her face into Remus' shirt again as if hoping she could just escape the world with him.

"It…can't be that bad…." Even Remus seemed wary of the place.

"Come on, come on!" Sirius urged, patting everyone's shoulder. "Have a look around! It can't be that bad, can it?" He was trying too hard to be cheerful. Even Sirius looked absolutely horrified finding out that he had to live in that place again, the very place he'd run away from. It must be horrible, the feeling he felt, but he did a good job of hiding it. After all, who'd want to return to the very place you want to run so far away from?

"I don't think anywhere is safe," said Marrick apprehensively. He walked with Alexis, his wand drawn and ready as they entered what appears to be the main living room, looking around. It truly was a strange place. "There's an undetectable expansion charm placed on the house, there has to be," said Marrick.

Rolling her eyes, Tonks could care less how big the place was.

"I've thought about it," said Sirius. "We could use the kitchen as a place for the meetings. Right now, it's the safest place and it has a massive table in there where everyone could sit."

"Sirius, don't you think we should wait a little before walking around?" Remus asked, looking at the strange elf-heads lining the walls.

"What do you mean, _wait_?" Sirius asked.

"It's unsafe," Silvia simplified.

"I hate it. When do we move?" Tonks asked and Remus shook his head, rubbing her arms and moving behind her.

"I'm going to check upstairs," he said, making his way towards the staircase.

"Kitchen then," Tonks replied.

She was walking—at least that was what she thought she'd been doing. Tonks suddenly tripped over something, something large and kind of squishy but still hard at the same time. The next thing she knew, she'd tumbled onto her face, rolled forward, and skid to a landing against a wooden chair inside the kitchen, causing a loud crash to follow her.

"_BLOODY HELL!_" she shrieked at the pain. She'd never fallen that hard before and her shock was intensified when she suddenly found two things in front of her. One was a massive, ugly umbrella stand that looked suspiciously like the severed leg of a troll. Two, there was a grumpy hold house-elf standing before her, his (she hoped it was a he) back was hunched and his skin hung off of him loosely—he must be very old. He was examining her in a condescending sort of way. She wondered how house-elves can even hold condescending looks.

Immediately following her fall, somebody began screaming. It wasn't anyone's voice she recognized or at least right away. "MUDBLOODS! SCUMS! WHAT SORT OF DEMONS HAVE YOU LET INTO MY HOUSE? WEREWOLVES?" the voice shrieked at the top of its lungs. It was a woman's voice no doubt. "THERE'S A WEREWOLF IN THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK! SIRIUS BLACK! YOU BLOOD TRAITOR! WHAT HAVE YOU LET INTO MY HOUSE?"

"Bloody hell," Tonks gasped. She was becoming uncomfortable under the house-elves' stare. She didn't like him, which was strange because she'd been rather fond of all the other house-elves she'd ever met, the ones in Hogwarts' kitchen, one named Dobby, Alexis' elf Loony, and even drunk and weeping Winky. But this one, this one in front of her, Tonks didn't like at all.

"SHUT UP!" Sirius bellowed and his face appeared in the kitchen with a tired and apologetic smile. "You fell, didn't you?" he asked, helping her up.

Tonks nodded and Remus showed up behind Sirius immediately, both Marauders helping her up to her feet. "What just happened?" Tonks asked.

"Did someone start another war?" Alexis questioned, rushing into the kitchen with a stunned look on her face. Marrick was hovering protectively behind her and helped Silvia make her way in carefully.

"Sirius, what's going on?" Silvia asked.

"That's my mother," Sirius sighed, shaking his head. "Dumbledore, Moody and I tried getting her portrait off the wall but she seemed to have put a Permanent Sticking Charm on it. It's as if the woman wants to haunt me even _after_ she's dead!"

"Master Sirius," the elf said in an old but crooning voice. It was kind of creepy in a way. "My poor mistress is right. What you let in her house—"

"Kreacher!" Sirius growled. "Away with you! Go!"

The elf followed orders immediately and Tonks turned back to Sirius with a questioning look. That was the house elf that served the house of Black and his name was Kreacher. She shivered. Instantly, Tonks knew that she and the house elf weren't going to get along.

"And I'm guessing that was _Kreacher_?" Remus asked.

Sirius sighed and continued to shake his head. "He's the elf here. He's supposed to listen to me since my mother died and it's my house now. I think he'll listen to Alexis too since she's a Black and Silvia since she's my wife. The rest of you," Sirius looked down at Tonks. "I'm sorry, I don't know if he'll listen."

"I wouldn't bother him," said Tonks sighing and taking a seat in the chair she'd fallen against earlier. "So we're living here?"

Remus nodded and again, Sirius sighed. "We're living here," they said.

Tonks turned to Remus as if pleading for an escape. The others left the kitchen, continuing their exploration while Tonks told Remus, "I just tripped over a troll legged umbrella stand. The portrait of Sirius' dead mother screamed insults at us. And that creepy elf is already scaring me. I don't want to be here."

There really was nothing he could do so Remus only shrugged and patted her hand. "We'll just have to deal with it," he sighed.

Defeated, Tonks dropped her head onto his shoulder as he was kneeling right in front of her. Remus wrapped his warm arms around her and held her tightly. She groaned, "Bloody hell."


End file.
